i18ish to Life
by OneHorseShay
Summary: Sequel to iGet My Second Chance. Some say life starts after college, others say life starts at 18, but maybe it starts at 18ish. That is the case for all Shays involved. Carly/Freddie, Steven Shay/Taylor Dorfman, Sam/Brad. T Language/Violence
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello my dear readers, I have the next story for you in the continuing journey of Carly and Freddie that started in iCarly's Father. There is also plenty of more story left for Steven and Taylor. I hope you enjoy.**

i18(ish) to Life

By OneHorseShay

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. For God sakes, don't sue.

Summary: Some say life starts after college, others say life starts at 18, but maybe it starts at 18ish. That is the case for all Shays involved, okay except for Spencer. Pairings: Carly/Freddie, Steven/Taylor, Sam/Brad. T for future strong language and a little bit of violence

Chapter 1

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Carly yawned and blinked open her eyes as she heard the alarm clock buzzed signaling that it was time to get up for the day. She reached over to turn off the alarm then sat up in bed and allowed a loud yawn to escape her mouth. She stretched her arms and shoulders for a moment before brushing some of her hair out of her face as her eyes focused waking up. The brunette looked over at her nightstand and she smiled as she saw the picture of her mother seemingly smiling back at her then her wakening eyes caught a surprise: a vase with a dozen red roses.

She immediately jumped out of bed and picked out the card sticking out of the arrangement. On the small envelope was written in red: CARLY. She immediately opened it and pulled out the card. She read: _To my Carly, I hope these brighten your day as much as you brighten mine. Love, Freddie._

She covered her mouth over with a hand. If this was how Valentine's Day was going to start, she couldn't imagine how the day was going to end. She took a moment to smell one of the roses and smile from the sweet scent. The brunette realized she couldn't spend too much time admiring the bouquet of flowers, so she took one last smell and began her morning ritual of getting ready.

After about a half an hour later, Carly came almost bouncing as she walked down the stairs. "Morning Spencer," she greeted her older brother with a smile plastered on her face.

"Morning kiddo," Spencer replied with a grin as he was preparing breakfast. "How's your morning so far?"

"Great," she answered as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

Spencer raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I wonder why?"

Carly giggled in response. "I'm not going to ask how the roses got on my nightstand without noticing."

"And I'm not going to tell," as Spencer finished cooking breakfast. He then started dividing up the breakfast between him and his little sister.

After a few minutes of eating their breakfast with sibling banter and teasing about Valentine's Day, there was a knock at the door. Carly turned her head to look at the door and immediately jumped up. Spencer blinked at how fast Carly seemed to cross the living room to reach the door, almost as if she glided above it. The brunette opened the door with a smile on her face of barely contained joy of knowing who it must be on the other side of the door. She wasn't disappointed.

"Morning," Freddie greeted with a smile, but before he could say anything else, Carly immediately palmed his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss. He was caught off guard for a moment, but leaned into the kiss and gently rested his hands on her hips. After a moment or two, she pulled back and smiled contently at him.

Freddie grinned as he replied, "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?"

Freddie shook his head. "No," he whispered then kissed her back with a tender short meddling of their lips. After a moment or so, Carly pulled back and whispered, "Thank you for the flowers."

The pair then heard the sound of someone clearing his throat behind Carly. They looked to see Spencer smiling. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you two need to get going if you are going to pick up Sam before school."

"Right," Carly replied with a hint of blush on her cheeks at being 'caught' in her affections with Freddie.

Freddie cleared his throat before speaking, "Hey Spencer."

Spencer waved with a smile on his face. "Hey Freddie. You two need to get going. You can't keep Sam waiting."

Freddie rolled his eyes and Carly shook her head. The brunette looked to Freddie, "I'll meet you down stairs?"

He nodded. "Yep, see you in a minute."

After a finishing her breakfast and a quick trip to the bathroom, Carly was riding down the service elevator to meet Freddie in the parking garage. Freddie was leaning against his used, but thoroughly inspected, on Mrs. Benson's insistence, dark blue car waiting for her. "Ready to go?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

She nodded then entered the passenger seat as Freddie got comfortable in the driver's seat and quickly went over all the basic checks his mother insisted on for safety. He wasn't as annoyed at that condition as maybe he should be, but he was carrying something very important to him and wasn't going to lose her to something as silly as not double checking a mirror.

As Freddie was pulling the car out of the garage, he asked hopefully, "So everything is still alright about going out tonight?"

"Everything is fine, I can't wait," she replied cheerfully.

Freddie spared her a glance as he pulled into the flow of traffic towards the direction of Sam's house, "I can't wait either."

After a few minutes of driving, they reached the curb in front of Sam's house. The blonde had an impatient look on her face as she stood outside waiting on the pair. Sam immediately hopped in the backseat of Freddie's car and complained, "You two love birds are late."

Freddie asked with a raised eyebrow, "You're concerned about being late for school?"

"No, but I don't like my mind wondering on what could keep you two from picking me up," she replied in an annoyed tone.

Carly shrugged a shoulder as she looked over her shoulder to the blonde. "I see your point."

The rest of the day couldn't go by fast enough for Carly, but fortunately her classes were entertaining today and they just seemed to end as soon as they began. Lunch was quite pleasant sitting with her boyfriend and best friend with a surprise chocolate treat somehow snuck on her lunch tray. She had stared at Freddie for a few moments, but he wouldn't admit to anything but to a half smirk.

The rest of the day after lunch went by just as quickly, so she and Sam were at her locker getting ready to leave for the day. Carly couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she packed her book bag.

Sam shook her head as she watched her friend's nearly giddy display of happiness. "Valentine's Day is just a pointless holiday to mama. All that girly mess makes me feel all…"

Carly turned with a concerned look towards her friend as she packed her last book in her book bag. "What?"

"Daffodillity," she replied in mild disgust.

Carly just smiled. "Fine, but don't miss out on the candy. You can't miss out on the chocolate; something has to balance out all the meat."

Sam snorted out a laugh. "I won't. I can always twist Brad's arm into making him bake some of his fudge for me."

Carly eyed her for a moment and gave her a half frown.

Sam sighed loudly. "I don't mean literally."

Carly returned with a smile. "Good. He's a nice guy and it won't take too much to convince him, unless he has a date for tonight."

Sam shrugged a shoulder. "Whatever, as long as I get my fudge."

Carly pointed at the blonde. "Just be nice, we need him to still be our intern. We can barely keep up with the iCarly schedule as it is now and I still haven't thought of what we can do for a Graduation Finale."

Sam waved her off. "You are worrying too much over it. We still have months to figure our something and put it together. So, is Freddie taking out somewhere nice?"

Carly took that as an indication that her suggestion was heard and for the most part would be followed, so she responded to Sam's question with a smirk and reply of, "Maybe."

"You know I'll just get the deets afterwards."

Carly sighed intentionally overdramatically, "Fine, but I don't know where he's taking me."

"He hasn't surprised you since your first date. Is he going to pull out all the stops again?"

Carly couldn't help but grin as she replied, "Maybe."

Freddie checked over himself one last time before knocking on the door to the Shay residence. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a button up navy blue shirt and medium shade of blue jeans. Finding that he was presentable to his own standards, he knocked on the Shay door sharply at seven pm and the door immediately opened with Spencer on the other side with a grin plastered on his face. "Freddie, my main man, come on inside," the older man invited the teenager inside of the apartment.

Freddie walked into the living room nervously and stuck his hands in his jacket just to keep his hands from fiddling. He turned to look at the tall man. "Any kind of speech you need to give me?"

"Nope, dad told me he already took care of that and that I'm not allowed to get all defensive big brother on you."

Freddie laughed nervously. "I'm not sure if that's comforting or not."

"With dad, I'm not sure either," Spencer replied with a nervous laughed and a nod of his head. "But I will ask you that you won't keep her out too late, okay? It's a school night."

Freddie nodded with a slight smile. "I won't Spencer."

A moment or so later a voice from the top of the stairs called out, "Hi."

Spencer and Freddie both turned to see standing at the midway part of the staircase. Freddie smiled when he say her standing at the top of the stairs and he seemed to flash back nearly five months ago when they went out on their first date. She wasn't wearing a dress this time due to the colder Seattle night that was expected, but she didn't look any less beautiful to Freddie's eyes.

Her hair was slightly curled and resting on each of her shoulders. She wore black washout jeans with a very dark navy blue shirt with a slight frill that went just past the waist of the jeans. She had her sleeves rolled up on her black jacket was a waist length single breasted with two rows of gold buttons going down her left side and green trim at her shoulders.

Freddie walked over as Carly finished walking down the steps. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as he wrapped an arm around her back.

"Hi," Freddie whispered with a joyful grin. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," he replied warmly. "You look very beautiful this evening."

She raised a finger to tap his chin. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

Freddie chuckled and raised his eyebrows for a moment.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but you do have plans for tonight?" Spencer asked with a raised eyebrow and smirk on his face.

Both teenagers cleared their throats, but it was Carly that spoke first, "Right, we have to go." She then looked to Freddie. "Right?"

"Right," he replied with a smile and slid his arm away from her waist to take her hand.

"You two have fun," Spencer instructed with a smile.

"We will," Carly called out as Freddie led the pair towards the service elevator.

Carly smiled in contentment as she enjoyed the quiet ride to wherever Freddie was taking her for the evening. She looked to her companion and asked, "So, what do you have in store for me tonight?"

He raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes on the road as he answered, "It's a little surprise."

"I love your surprises," she replied with a laugh, "even if I have to wait for them."

"I'm glad," he chuckled in response.

A few minutes later, Freddie pulled up to a familiar destination: the Seattle Space Needle.

"You didn't?" she asked astonish as she looked out of the passenger window.

Freddie smirked as he asked, "Isn't this a special occasion where I can treat you? I know you loved it last time."

She playfully punched his arm. "You shouldn't have," she admonished playfully.

"You want us to leave?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" she shouted at him playfully.

Freddie chuckled. "Okay, we'll stay."

Carly couldn't remember the last time she was this content as Freddie had an arm around her waist and his chin on her shoulder as the pair were looking out over the city from the observation deck of the Space Needle. A few times stood out in her mind that came close to what she was feeling at the moment: the first time she kissed Freddie after saving her life, the joy of him giving her a second chance in his bedroom and letting her fall in love with him, seeing her mother in her dream, and then telling Freddie she loved him.

To Carly, this was a fantastic ending to the couple's first Valentine's Day together. The chilly February air blew past and she shivered for a moment before Freddie wrapped his coat and other arm around her. She had fallen and he had caught her and she couldn't have felt safer. Everything made sense in life. She knew that this is what she wanted between them. This is how she wanted to spend the rest of her life: with him by her side.

"Would you marry me?" she whispered as she looked out of the city.

"What?" Freddie asked hesitantly, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

She turned her head to meet his eyes. "Would you marry me?"

Freddie smiled that reach up to and lit his eyes up. "I would love to marry you one day."

"No," she replied with a shake of her head and a desperate look. "I mean _now_, before we graduate, not years in the future."

His smiling face turned to one of shock similar to how he looked the very first time she had kissed him. "You're serious?"

She nodded. "Why wait?"

Freddie tried to speak, but his mouth seemed to gap open and shut like a fish out of water.

"Please marry me?" she asked in a pleading tone that stabbed at his heart.

That pain snapped Freddie out of his shock and he let out a slow breath. He cupped her cheek in his palm. In a soft and he hoped comforting tone, replied, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Carly blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Then say yes."

He wiped away the tear with the pad of his thumb then smiled as he replied, "Yes… I will marry you Carly Shay."

She grinned as the tears fell and leaned in to capture his lips with her own.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

May 1980

On a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, Steven was heading for the school library instead of the art classroom. He entered the library and scanned for a sky blue bandana. He smiled when he found the brunette sitting with her back to the door. He slowly came up behind her and kissed her cheek. She didn't seem surprised at all as she kept her focus on the material on the table in front of her. He then rested his chin on her shoulder to look at what was currently grabbing her attention. "So what are you doing?"

She turned her head slightly and smiled at him. "Studying."

"For what?" Steven asked in a tone mixed with curiosity and playfulness.

She blinked at him and asked slowly, "Exams next week?"

"Right… exams. I forgot about them," he replied with a slight chuckle.

"You forgot about them? You weren't going to study?" she asked truly alarmed.

Steven grabbed a seat beside her and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't study for them last time. I don't see why I would do it this time."

Taylor's brow furled. "Don't you care to pass?"

"No, but I'll pass. Passing them isn't hard."

"But… don't you want to do more than just pass?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Don't care," he replied with a shrug of a shoulder.

Taylor looked down at her notepad and book on the table and thought for a moment. Some of what Ruby had told her came back to mind, especially the part about not caring. She looked to him with a puppy dog look, "Would you study for me?"

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You want me to study for my exams?"

"Yes, and try to do more than just pass them. Please, for me?"

Steven rolled his eyes as she turned the phrase he had used on her to get her to walk with him to the school nurse. "Fine, I'll study and get higher than just passing."

Taylor smiled instantly at his agreement with her and poked him in the abdomen. "Good."

He playfully swatted her hand away. "No tickling here."

"Why not?" she asked genuinely confused. She had her furled brow and her bottom lip sticking out just ever so slightly.

Steven grinned back and leaned forward to whisper to her, "Because I can't tickle you back; it would be improper in public." He leaned over to kiss her cheek then whisper in her ear. "I'll tickle you later."

She brought a hand up to her mouth and blushed. She looked to him with a cross look and admonish playfully, "Steven."

He chuckled lightly. "You started it."

Taylor grinned and a dimple showed on her left cheek. "I did, didn't I?"

Steven nodded. "Yes you did. So, what are you studying?"

"History," she replied and turned back to her book and pad.

"Ah, names and dates about people no one cares about and that put me and almost everyone else in class to sleep," Steven commented with a smirk.

"The past is important. Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," she spoke as if she was one of those high stuffy teachers.

Steven laughed out loud from her impression, drawing an annoyed look from the school librarian. He smiled and waved at her, but she frowned even more. The long haired teenager then looked back to his girlfriend and remarked dryly, "I know. Sitting through it once was bad enough."

Taylor tilted her head to the side. "You know what I mean."

Steven bit his lip for a moment and grinned. "I know."

"Please don't fail anything," she whispered bashfully and Steven saw the slight hint of sadness in Taylor's eyes.

Steven took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I won't sweetie."

She smiled at the term of endearment. "Barry could help you if need catching up," she suggested with a bit of pride in her voice.

"Barry is two grades below us," Steven pointed out with a smile.

Taylor smiled back and kissed him on the cheek. "Barry is very smart and could skip a grade if he wanted."

He smiled back as he replied, "I don't doubt it."

Shay Apartment

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Sam was sitting in one of the beanbag chairs in the iCarly studios watching television on the pop out flat screen monitor. She wasn't alone however, as Brad, their new intern, who replaced their disastrous one Cort, was sitting in another beanbag chair beside her. He stayed late to finish something up for the next iCarly broadcast and decided that it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer and enjoy the company of Sam, because he didn't have any other plans for the evening.

"This is some really good fudge, Brad," Sam was able to get out between bites of her fudge as she watched the television screen.

"You're welcome," he replied with a good humor smile at her obvious enjoyment of the fudge.

After finishing her piece of fudge, the blonde asked the sandy blonde boy, "So why don't you have a date tonight?"

Brad just smiled. "Honestly? I got so busy helping you guys out that the holiday slipped up on me without realizing it."

Sam nodded as she snatched another piece of fudge from the plastic container sitting between the beanbag chairs and took a bite out of another piece of fudge.

"So… why don't you have a date tonight? It shouldn't have been hard for you to get one if you wanted one."

Sam turned her head to look at the taller boy and seeing a hint of a smile play on his face. "You're saying mama's easy?" she asked with a dark look and colder tone.

Brad laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm saying the complete opposite Sam. You could have your pick of any guy you want, but you don't, not even for tonight. I guess it's just a little human curiosity of why not?"

Sam found that it was suddenly hard to swallow before choking out a reply, "Yeah, well… thanks." After making sure she got the piece of fudge down, Sam continued, "I just think it's kind of a girly holiday. Why do you need a Hallmark holiday to tell the person you love that you love them? Aren't you supposed to do that everyday?"

Brad half grinned and shrugged one shoulder. "I see what you mean, but I think it lets people know that they need to do something special for that special someone."

"Then why don't people just do that and not need some date marked on a calendar to tell them?"

Brad let out a breath and pondered for a moment. "Years and years of tradition?"

"Seems like a lousy excuse to me and I know how to make an excuse," Sam commented dryly.

Brad snapped his fingers. "I know what; I'll do something special for you one day without you expecting it."

Sam laughed, barely choking on her on the fudge. "You're looking for a raise?"

"You don't pay me," he replied with a smirk.

"That's right. You want to get paid?"

Brad closed his eyes and shook his head as he answered, "No."

Sam snorted out a laugh then something caught her eye on the monitor. She looked back to it and hissed out, "Shhh, I want to hear this." Also she waved at him to quiet down.

"Sure thing boss," Brad replied with a grin.

A small smile crept up on Sam's mouth as she focused her attention on the television screen.

Dorfman Residence

May 1980

"Hey daddy," Taylor called out as she and Steven cut through the parlor towards the living room.

"Hey Cupcake," Mister Dorfman called out over the top of reading his newspaper as he sat in his recliner in the parlor. He noticed that Steven was with his daughter and got up from his seat. "Steven!"

"Yes sir," he turned around and replied with a smile. Taylor stopped in her tracks as well and looked to her father with a hesitant look.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Steven looked to Taylor for a moment and nodded his head. He looked back to the older man and replied, "Yes sir."

"Sit down, sit down," he instructed in a friendly manner and pointed to a desk chair. Steven dropped his book bag beside him and took the chair and sat across and to the side of Mister Dorfman as the older man took back his seat.

"Thank you sir."

Dorfman replied with a nod then started, "So what do you plan on doing for the summer?"

Steven shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. Maybe try and get a part time job then just see how much time I can waste without getting into trouble."

Mister Dorfman nodded. "Well, I have a suggestion that could keep you out of trouble and make you a few bucks."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" he chuckled as asked the question.

The old war vet joined in the laughter. "It's not that bad; just hear me out."

"Yes Mister Dorfman," Steven answered with a respectful nod.

"During the summer I like to work mostly at home, it's peaceful and quiet and if I want to do some fishing, I can go out for a bit and no one's the wiser, but I still need things done at the office. I was wondering if you could run some things back and forth to the office for me and what other errands I need. I'll pay you better than anywhere else you could work during the summer."

Steven smirked. "How do I know this isn't some excuse to keep an eye on me?"

Dorfman chuckled before replying, "You don't."

Steven cocked his head to the side and looked to the floor. After a moment he looked up with a grin on his face and replied, "Well, why not? It's a deal."

"Okay, we'll get started about a week after schools out. So, what are you doing here this afternoon?"

Steven let out a sigh. "Your daughter has asked me to study for my exams."

"You weren't going to?"

"Don't have to study to pass, but she wants me to do more than just pass, so I have to study."

Dorfman chuckled, "Well if my little girl is going to get you to do something, that's not a bad one."

"I guess not," Steven replied with a hint of a smile. "Well sir, if you will excuse me, I have to get some studying done."

The salt and pepper haired man waved him off. "Well off you go. You can't keep her waiting."

Steven nodded and got up from his seat. He threw his book bag on to his shoulder and headed to the living room. He found Taylor and Barry sitting on the couch with books and notes all over the long and very sturdy coffee table. Barry had his head nearly buried in a book while Taylor was reading over some notes. The brunette looked up to see Steven drop his book bag beside the coffee table and look at the siblings.

"What did you two talk about?" Taylor asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Your dad offered me a job over the summer. I'm going to do some errands for him."

Taylor gave him a bright smile then bit her lower lip. She now had a reason for him to be around for the entire summer and it made her giddy inside. Taylor leaned over and cupped a hand over her mouth and Barry's ear to whisper into his ear. He turned to look at his sister and she gave him a pleading look. He rolled his eyes and gave her a goofy grin.

Barry looked to Steven and asked, "How's your math?"

Steven raised an eyebrow as he replied with a deliberate tone, "Rusty, but adequate."

Barry grinned widely. "Not good enough."

"You're going to teach me a thing or two kid?"

Barry laughed. "Yes I am."

**Author's Note: Wow, Carly asked Freddie to marry her, Sam and Brad had a sweet moment during Valentine's Day and the future Mister and Mrs. Shay are going to be spending the summer together. Oh, those first steps for everyone. Thanks for readying and reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello my dear readers. I'm glad you are enjoying this new story and thank you for the reading and reviewing. **

Chapter 3

Carly was already wide awake even before her alarm clock went off for the day. She had spent the last fifteen or so minutes staring up at the ceiling with just the soft sound of the outside world reverberating off the windows. She finally whispered to herself as she looked up at nothing in particular, "I'm getting married." A few moments later what she said finally hit her. "I'm getting married," she spoke with barely constrained delight. The joy and excitement of that statement caused her to throw off her covers and climbed off the end of the bed. She started jumping on her trampoline in joy with a hand over her mouth fearing she may just shout out for the entire apartment to hear.

After jumping for a few moments, she hoped off the mini-trampoline. She tried to catch her breath between fits of giggles. After several tries, the brunette caught her breath and began her usual morning routine of getting ready. As she went about going to the bathroom and dressing, she realized that she couldn't let her excitement show. She wasn't ready to tell Spencer. She didn't even know how she was going to tell Sam, but she'd find someway to tell her. Even if they didn't have their no secrets pact (except for those secrets strictly labeled as girlfriend/boyfriend and even if things had thawed between Sam and Freddie, she doubted if that was in affect with one another), she would still have to tell Sam. You can't keep the secret of getting married from one's big sis.

Carly took another calming breath then opened her bedroom door to head down for breakfast. As soon as she made it to the foot of the stairs on the first floor and saw Spencer at the stove fixing breakfast, she froze.

Spencer turned around, apparently hearing her come down the stairs, and smiled at her little sister. "Hey kiddo."

She avoided looking Spencer in the eyes as she replied, "Hi Spence." She walked quickly to the kitchen and took her seat at the end of the table. She focused her attention at the table top.

The artist came over with an empty plate in one hand and another filled with breakfast. He sat the empty one in front of the web-hostess and dished out the food onto her plate.

"Thanks," she whispered before starting on eating her breakfast.

Spencer raised an eyebrow as he kept one eye on his sister and gave himself the rest of the prepared breakfast. He took a seat, but before taking his first bite of breakfast he asked, "Are you okay kiddo?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she snapped nervously. She couldn't be that transparent she thought as she tried to put on her best poker face.

"Because you look a little… I don't know… off?"

Carly waved him off. "Sorry. I'm just a little tired. It was a long night."

"I understand. It was Valentine's Day; you couldn't have stayed home," Spencer reassured her with a friendly smile.

"Thanks for understanding," Carly whispered and risked sparing her brother a glance.

Spencer smiled back warmly, "Not a problem kiddo."

Across the hall, Freddie was in his bathroom getting ready for the day. He finished brushing his teeth and looked into the mirror. "I'm going to marry Carly Shay," he whispered to himself. Freddie just started laughing in pure unadulterated joy.

"Are you okay Freddie?" he heard his mother shout from outside of his bedroom door.

"I'm fine mom! A really funny joke just came to my mind. I'll be out for breakfast in a few minutes!"

"Okay," Mrs. Benson replied surprisingly without an argument.

Freddie looked into the mirror one last time and whispered, "You are going to be Carly Shay's _first_ and _last_ husband."

Freddie would have picked up Carly and Sam like he did yesterday and since he had gotten his car, but he had to take his mother to work that morning because of her own vehicle problems. Thankfully, he would not have to pick his mother up at the hospital and would be driving back to the apartment with the girls. That happy occurrence was on Freddie's mind as he approached his girlfriend standing at her locker. However, when he caught sight of Carly, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness.

Freddie leaned against the lockers and faced Carly. "Hey," Freddie greeted the brunette in a garble tone.

She turned to look at her tech-producer/boyfriend. She too felt a sudden sense of nervousness as she replied, "Hi."

It didn't take either one of them a second glance to see that the other was feeling apprehensive. Freddie was about to speak, but Carly took a breath and started, "About last night…"

"Are you having second thoughts?" he asked in astonish tone and to Carly's ears a hurt tone.

"No, I was going to say that I meant it, but that it's alright if you have second thoughts. I mean, who am I kidding, it's a silly idea."

Freddie took the few steps to close the distance so their faces were just inches apart. "Not if you meant it. Did you mean it?"

Carly gave a slight nod with a disheartened look on her face. "Yes, I meant it with all my heart."

Freddie leaned his head closer as Carly looked down at his chest. He whispered as tenderly as he could, knowing he was absolutely certain about what he was feeling and going to say, "Then I still want to marry you and not years from now. As soon as you want to, I'll marry you, but…"

She looked up at him with concerned eyes. "What?"

He grinned at her. "Just give me a little time to get you an engagement ring, okay?"

Carly blinked at the question. She found her voice a few moments later to reply, "You don't have to do that."

Freddie shook his head. "You can't ask me not to get a ring for my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" she asked in a perplex whisper. A small grin appeared on her face and nudged her head forward to be so close as to nearly touch noses. "Fiancé," she whispered to herself with barely contained glee.

"There's that smile I love," he replied then lifted his head just enough to kiss her on the forehead.

"You two knock it off!" Mister Howard shouted as he approached the pair.

Freddie looked up and looked to the balding man with a smirk. "I have General Shay on speed dial and it is approaching his lunch time. Would you like to speak with him?"

Mister Howard immediately turned away and mumbled under his breath as he headed down the hallway.

The pair then shared a laugh and Carly grabbed the side of his left arm to hold her steady as she let the last few minutes of tension pass away and embrace the joy of what Freddie and she were going to do in the near future.

"That was a close one, wasn't it?" someone asked playfully from behind Carly.

"Hi Wendy," Freddie replied after clearing his throat. "No, he's just looking to cause trouble."

Carly turned and smiled at the cheerful redhead. Wendy answered, "He's just jealous of the love you too share."

"Thanks Wendy," Carly replied with a slight tilt of her head and warm smile.

Her smile got bigger as she asked, "What I don't understand is if you love each other so much, why don't you just get married?" Wendy then nodded her head and laughed then strolled away to her next class.

Carly turned her head looking at Wendy walking by her and Freddie. The brunette blinked and her face went neutral as she stood there at her open locker. _If you love each other so much, why don't you just get married?_

Carly turned to see Freddie just as shocked and his face looked drained. "See ya Wendy!" Freddie called out hoarsely before turning back to look at Carly.

"Is it that obvious?"

"That we're in love with each other? Yes, but I haven't told anyone. Have you?"

Carly shook her head. "No, I haven't, but I need to tell Sam."

Freddie nodded with a reassuring smile. "I know. Then we have to tell Spencer and my mom and—"

"My dad," Carly finished hesitantly then swallowed nervously.

"Yeah, but I think he'll—" Freddie didn't finish as Sam shouted behind him, "Save it love birds, we're in public."

Freddie turned and smiled slightly towards the blonde. "We know that Sam. We aren't doing anything improper."

Sam pointed at the taller young man. "You better not be. You know I'm suppose to cover you."

Freddie snorted out with a smirk. "Thanks Sam."

Sam gave him a half smile. "Well you're welcome."

Freddie then looked back to Carly. "I have to get to class."

Carly nodded then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "See you later."

He nodded then started on his way. "See ya Sam," Freddie shouted in a friendly tone.

"See you later Freddie," she answered him just as friendly.

Sam turned her attention back to Carly and finally noticed something about the brunette girl. "Okay, you look whiter than normal."

"What?" the brunette asked with a look of shock and being caught like a deer in headlights.

"You look paler," Sam pointed out with a smirk.

"No I don't," Carly replied quickly and raised a hand to her cheek.

Sam snorted out a laugh because now she was certain in her confidence in suspecting something. "Carly, you look the same way you did when you told me that you kissed Freddie after the accident, so what else happened last night? You two didn't…"

Carly blinked at her and stared for a few moments processing what she was just asked. "No," she replied forcibly with a shake of her head.

"So what happened then?" Sam asked with a slight chuckle.

Carly looked down and bashfully for a moment before shutting her locker then grabbing Sam's arm and dragging her somewhere more private in the hallway. The pair found a corner down the hall with very little to no student traffic. Carly finally replied when she looked around to make sure no one would overhear her speak, "I asked Freddie to marry me."

Sam grinned then burst out into laughter. She was laughing so hard that she wrapped one of her arms across her stomach and wiped away some tears with her free hand. Carly's eyebrows furled and looked at the blonde trying to figure out what was so funny.

"It isn't funny," Carly pouted.

Sam let out a breath and took a few more to calm down before allowing her face to drop into shock. "You're serious."

"Yes I'm serious," Carly hissed in a low tone.

"Oh my God," Sam whispered in complete bewilderment. "When pray tell do you plan on tying the knot with Freddmondo?"

"As soon as we can," Carly stated confidently.

"As soon as you can? Shouldn't you at least wait until after graduation or maybe a few years into college?"

"I don't want to wait. I want to spend the rest of my life with Freddie."

"Are you listening to yourself? You sound completely insane," the blonde stated as if her friend had really lost her mind.

"Am I? After high school if we're not rooming together in college, would it be odd if I and Freddie lived together?"

Sam blinked and slowly replied, "No."

"Okay. What if Freddie and I wanted to…" she started rocking her head back and forth slight, "you know after we started living together. Would people consider that odd or more likely assumed we were if we were living together?"

"People would assume," she hated to admit.

"Okay, but I'm crazy if I want to get married to him _before_ living with him and well…"

Sam took a breath and looked to the girl she considered her sister with a hesitant and unsure look. "No, you wouldn't be crazy in that case, but you're talking about committing to Freddie in marriage. If something were to happen, you just can't dump him. You would have to go through a divorce." Sam noticed the frightened look in Carly's eyes at the suggestion that she and Freddie could ever end up divorced if they got married.

Sam uneasy shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not trying to scare you cupcake, but you can't just ignore that possibility."

"No I can't, but I can't let the fear of that happening stop me from wanting to be with Freddie and I don't want to wait. Please, I need my big sis to back me up on this."

Something dreadful suddenly occurred to the blonde. "You're not sick are you?" Sam asked in a tone that clearly showed that she was afraid of a positive response. She thought back to just before Mister Shay left for DC after his leave was up and his conversation with her and Freddie about the details of Carly's mother's death and how the condition ran through the Dorfman side of the family. Sam put on a brave face to Shay and Freddie during and after the conversation, but the ramifications of what were discussed had terrified her to her core. Afterwards, she thought she had a clearer and deeper understanding of Mister Shay and other than Carly, would always have her sympathy.

Carly shook her head, "No, I'm not."

Sam let out a relieved breath. She looked into the brunette's eyes and smiled, "If this is what you want, I'm here for you kiddo."

Carly smiled and instantly pulled her into a hug. Sam smiled and patted the brunette on the back. Once the pair pulled apart, Sam asked, "Have you told Spencer or your dad?"

"No, you're the first one we've told," Carly replied with a relieved smile that she got to share her happy news with someone that meant the world to her.

"Thanks, so when are you going to tell them?"

"I don't know," she answered with a worried tone.

"You have to tell them if you are going to get married 'as soon as possible'," Sam air quoted.

"I know… I'll tell Spencer tonight. Will you be there with me?" Carly asked with a pleading look.

"Of course cupcake, I'll be right there with you."

Carly grinned. "Thank you… okay, so I told you the important part of my night, how did you spend your night?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam cleared her throat and rolled her eyes. "I can't compete with that if that is what you're asking."

"No," Carly replied with a shake of her head. "So, what did you do?"

Sam let out a breath. "Okay, I spent most of my night in the studio; Brad stayed later and we watched some TV as I ate some of his fudge. The man sure knows how to bake some good fudge," she finished with a smile.

"You and Brad?" Carly asked with a raised eyebrow.

In a half caring remark, she answered, "Yeah, it's no big chizz. Brad's not that bad as company and not as nerdy as I expected."

Carly grinned mischievously.

Sam noticed the brunette's look immediately and knew exactly what was going through the girl's mind. "Don't be getting any ideas Shay," Sam warned the brunette with a pointed finger.

"I'm just having a little fun in thinking, that's all. If you need my help again, you would just ask," Carly giggled and waved the blonde off.

Sam tilted her head to the side and asked, "When do I need your help to get a guy?"

"Did you forget Pete?" Carly smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," Sam replied, leaving the cocky look to fall and replaced with one of being caught.

"Oh yes, little miss daffodil," the brunette replied and allowed herself a small giggle.

Sam let out an annoyed breath. "Fine, you're right about that one time, but if mama wants a guy, then mama can have any guy she wants."

"Who told you that?" Carly asked quickly with a hint of a smile.

"Brad," Sam answered before thinking and she quickly closed her mouth shut.

"He did? Maybe he's trying to drop you a hint," Carly suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"Or maybe he's being nice in the hopes of getting a raise," Sam countered with a smirk.

Carly answered with a perplexed look, "Ah Sam… we don't pay him."

"_Exactly_," Sam replied with a goofy grin and motion of a hand.

Carly sighed signaling that she couldn't believe she was going to have to explain this to her. "You know, every guy isn't out to play you. There are some nice guys out there. Wouldn't you want a nice guy one day?"

Sam let out to Carly's ears, a defeated breath before replying, "I'm fine. When I want a guy, I'll get a guy… a nice one… that doesn't think I'm too… you know, abrasive."

Carly leaned in and whispered, "Well, at least get one for a night. You're going to need a date for my wedding." Carly then laughed at the shock then annoyed look on the blonde's face.

"Come on, we need to get to class," Sam countered and grabbed Carly by the wrist.

May 1980

Steven lead Taylor inside of his home for the first time and he wouldn't admit it, but he was a little apprehensive for her see his home. It was a nice home, but it couldn't compete with a three-story Victorian home that was more like a mansion. He knew rationally that she wouldn't make any judgment. He had wondered at times whether she could make a judgment of anybody especially when she considered herself the 'abnormal one'. However, it was his irrational side that worried him about what she could glean from him once she entered his home and especially his room.

The one thing that troubled and worried long haired young man was that Taylor would finally be meeting his father and he did not like the idea of having Taylor being a target of his father over judgmental nature. As they were approaching the stairwell to head up to his room, Steven wasn't disappointed in expecting his father waiting for him in the living room.

"Hello?" Mister Shay asked and greeted the bandana wearing teenager simultaneously.

"Hello Mister Shay," Taylor greeted the Shay patriarch with a warm smile.

The father looked to his only son with a questioning look. Steven quickly answered hoping to get out of his father's presence as soon as he could with Taylor, "Dad, this is Taylor Dorfman. Taylor, this is my dad, Greg Shay."

Greg looked back and forth between his son and the bandana wearing teenager. He finally gave the brunette a reserved smile. "Miss Dorfman, how do you do?"

"I'm fine sir, thank you for asking," Taylor replied with a smile.

"I wasn't expecting any visitors," he offered then glanced at his son with a questioning look.

"That's alright sir, I'm just here to help Steven study," the brunette answered with a charming smile.

"Study?"

"For exams," Steven offered as an explanation.

Greg grinned in disbelief. "You're going to study for your exams?"

Steven grinned back with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Yes sir."

Greg chuckled for a moment and replied, "I'm glad someone is having a positive influence on him."

Steven bit his tongue as he wanted to snap back that they were really just going to go to his room and make out, but didn't because, first it wasn't true and secondly, he wasn't ready to deal with his father about Taylor being his girlfriend. He was a smartass, not a dumb one and had no intention of cutting his own nose off to spite his face or in this case, his father.

Taylor must have caught the look in Steven's eyes or maybe she just sensed the aggravation he was feeling. "Well, sir, if you will excuse us."

"Of course, just ask if you need anything," Greg offered warmly.

Taylor started for the stairs and pulling Steven by the wrist. "Thank you sir, we will."

Taylor led Steven up the stairs then he took the lead down a hallway towards his room. He opened the door and entered first. He turned around and opened his arms wide and motioned around his room. "This is it: my inner sanctuary."

Taylor took a cursorily look over it before she giggled. The room was strung with clothes and records lying on his floor. "Your room's a mess," she stated with a smile.

Steven raised a finger. "I would counter by saying it is organized chaos."

Taylor carefully walked around his room and noticed a particular pile of clothes. He couldn't see what she was picking up, but she lifted something up and turned around to show him an article of clothing in each hand. In her right hand was a pair of briefs and the other hand a pair of boxers. "So both?"

"Give me those," Steven replied slightly annoyed as he pulled the two undergarments out of her hands.

Taylor let go of the clothing and just broke into another fit of giggles.

"You won't find that so funny if I was holding up your underwear," he commented as he took the undergarments and stuffed them a slightly opened drawer.

She grinned behind her back and replied, "It depends on when you would be holding them."

Steven turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that?"

Taylor looked down and a hint of blush formed on her face. She walked over and took a seat on his unmade bed.

"It's always the quiet ones," he joked with a smile.

She looked up at him with a mischievous smirk.

"Oh, definitely the quiet ones," he smiled back.

Taylor shook her head. "Are you going to flirt or are we going to study?"

Steven brushed some hair behind an ear and smirked, "I can't do both?"

She smiled back and Steven knew he saw a glint of mischief in the brunette's eyes.

Ridgeway High School

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Freddie was waiting by Carly's locker for her and same to make it from their respective last classes. As he waited he realized that he had gotten through the entire day without shouting for joy at the top of his lungs that he was going to marry Carly. He didn't have to wait long, as it was Sam that made it to the lockers before Carly.

They greeted each other with nods as Sam opened her locker to grab whatever she needed for the night. As she was pulling out what she wanted, she looked to him with a smile and commented idly, "And you always thought that you were going to be the one to propose."

Freddie turned to her and raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So, Carly already told you?"

"Yeah, she told me," she nodded with a hint of a smile.

The tech-producer nodded knowing that he was going to have this conversation with her at some point. So he decided to get started, "So what do you think?"

Sam shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. At first I thought she was crazy."

Freddie glared at her for a moment. "_So this is how it's going to be you—_" he began in his mind.

"Not because she wanted to marry you, but just wanting to do it so soon. I thought maybe she was doing it because she might be sick."

Freddie raised both eyebrows and took a deep breath through his nostrils. That was not how he expected her to answer as he realized what she had said at the end. It chilled him to the core even before he finished processing what it meant if she was right. He thought quickly about if that was the reason why she had proposed; in his excitement, the thought hadn't even occurred to him.

"She's not sick," Sam finished quickly before Freddie went too far down that line of thought.

Freddie blinked let out a relieved breath without realizing it.

"That wasn't a joke and I never would joke about that, especially with you," Sam whispered in what Freddie thought was a sincere tone. "I'm sorry to have scared you."

Freddie nodded and whispered back, "Apology accepted."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Are you taking those now?"

"On a trial basis," he answered in a reserved tone.

"Well it's something," she answered with a shrug and shut her locker.

The pair waited at the lockers for a few more moments before Freddie stated in a reserved tone, "I want your help."

Sam blinked at him and mouthed something before finally asking, "My help? On what?"

"I'm going to go buy Carly an engagement ring and I would appreciate your opinion."

She just looked at him for a moment and let her mouth hang open for a moment.

"Sam?" Freddie questioned with a concerned look on his face.

"I heard you; I'm just… a little shocked you asking for my help."

"Well… we are getting there aren't we?" Freddie asked in a neutral tone.

"Slow and steady," she answered with a nod. "So, you want me to help you get her an engagement ring?"

"Yes. I want to make sure I get something nice and I need someone to cover for me."

"Cover for you?"

"If I go into a jeweler and seen buying an engagement ring, how long do you think it would take some fans to find out and post it all over the internet?"

Sam nodded as she understood his logic. "So do you have a plan?"

"Working on one," Freddie replied casually. "I just know I'll need more than me on anything I decide and I can't trust anyone else."

"You trust me now?"

"I trust you to be you: not betraying Carly; me? I'm still not so sure."

"Slow and steady," she replied back before Sam nodding. "Okay, when you need me, I'll be there to help."

Freddie took a quick breath and replied, "Thanks."

Sam looked back at him with a serious look as she replied, "You're welcome."

**Author's Note: So that's it for today, tune in on Monday for another installment. You can show your appreciation by dropping a review. Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello all my dear readers and reviewers. I have another installment that I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 5

Late May 1980

It was Saturday around lunch time when Taylor and Steven entered the Pizzeria. She and Steven had been studying most of the afternoon for exams the next week and Steven decided to treat her with lunch. Steven actually felt guilty that Barry couldn't tag along to get in a game of Pak-Rat, but three couldn't ride on a motorcycle. Steven knew he'd partially make it up to Barry by bringing some pizza back with them.

Steven wasn't too surprise when he found a number of his friends wasting some of their afternoon hanging out at the pizza place. They had taken over two booths and no one was bothering them: the patrons or the staff. It was most likely they were intimidated by their appearance and the way the carried themselves: dark colors, some leather and the look to be left alone.

He smiled to Taylor and gave a nod in the direction of his friends. "Let me introduce you to some of my friends then we can get some pizza."

She smiled back briefly and nodded her head in reply.

Steven grinned as he and Taylor approached his friends. "So this is where you losers are spending this beautiful Saturday?"

Glenn chuckled back, "And you what are you doing?" He then caught sight of Taylor. "Never mind."

Ruby was the first from her seat and approached the pair. She hugged the bandana wearing teenager and smiled, "Hello Taylor."

When the taller girl pulled back, Taylor smiled warmly at the raven haired girl in the leather jacket and Rolling Stones shirt. Ruby kept her right arm around Taylor's shoulders and started pointing out the rest of them for Taylor, "This is Glenn, the luckiest boyfriend to have me; this Andrea; and our residential football authority, Bobby."

"How do you do?" she asked them bashfully.

The curly haired blonde nodded his head and waved. "Nice to meet you." The dark haired boy waved and gave her a brief smile while Andrea gave a nod and raised her glass of soda in acknowledgment.

Ruby took her seat back across from Glenn and invited Taylor to sit beside her. The artist bashfully accepted the seat and looked to each of Steven's and Ruby's friends not sure where she should rest her eyes.

Ruby smiled invitingly towards the brunette girl. "So what brings you here?"

Steven answered with a laugh as he took as seat beside Glenn and across from the girls, "We're taking a little break."

Glenn tried to suppress a smirk. "From what?"

Taylor cheerfully replied, "Studying."

Ruby furled her brow and asked reluctantly, "For what?"

"Exams?" Taylor asked slowly as if she said something wrong.

The gathered group of high school students with the exception of Ruby started laughing. Steven glared at Bobby and he quieted in an instant. Ruby gave Glenn a narrowed look and clenched his jaw. He quieted just as quickly and looked down at the table.

A young waitress, probably a freshmen or sophomore in college, approached the gathering after noticing Taylor and Steven joining the group. Taylor smiled at the waitress and that seemed to put her at ease being around such a group as she took the bandana wearing teen and long haired boy's orders.

About twenty minutes Steven chatting with his friends, but Taylor remaining quiet and observing, the pair's order arrived. As the two started eating, Glenn asked, "So you're the artist?"

Taylor nodded as she chewed a morsel of her pizza.

Bobby was in a seat behind the booth and leaned over the back to look at Taylor and Ruby as he asked, "What kind of art do you do?"

Taylor turned her shoulder slightly and looked at the dark headed young man. "Any kind: painting, sculpturing, ceramics, on occasion; whatever hits my fancy."

"Finger-paint?" Bobby jokingly asked and looked around to see if anyone else would laugh. His first sight was Ruby glaring at him ready to kill him. He stopped laughing and decided to turn around back in his seat.

Taylor looked down at her plate as she ate her pizza. She whispered softly, "Sometimes I do use my fingers to paint; more control sometimes than a brush… makes you closer to what you're doing like sculpturing and ceramics."

Steven was about to say something when Taylor commented, "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Taylor then scooted out of the booth without a word or acknowledgment from anyone. She headed towards the ladies restroom as Ruby spoke up, "I have to use it too." Ruby turned her head and shared a quick kiss on the lips with Glenn then scooted out of the booth and followed the artist to the restroom.

Glenn pointed out hesitantly, "She's different."

"And we're not?" Steven challenged in a friendly tone, but still challenged anyone of them to make something of it. He gave Bobby another cold stare.

Taylor stepped out of the restroom stall to face Ruby with her arms crossed waiting for the artist. "I'm sorry," Ruby spoke in a tired voice. "Bobby can be an ass at times. He sometimes takes his life's disappointments out on others."

Taylor nodded as she passed her and started washing her hands. "I'll remember to say a little prayer for him."

Ruby raised an eyebrow and bowed her head slightly at the shorter girl. She then asked with a hint of disbelief, "So you're really getting Steven to study?"

"Is that a bad thing?" she countered with a raised eyebrow of her own.

Ruby smirked. "No, I'm glad you got him to care about his exams. He's smart, he's just needs to care a little."

After finishing washing and drying her hands, Taylor replied with a sad look, "Sorry?"

Ruby looked back at her with a perplexed look. "Why are you sorry?"

Taylor looked down for a moment to the floor and her eyes were even more down cast then the moment before. "Because he's your friend and it should have been you. I'm sorry."

Ruby had no idea what to make of this strange little brunette artist. This quiet teenager was feeling bad for her as if she had done something to intentionally hurt the raven haired girl. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. I'm just happy that you can help him."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled sweetly at the brunette. "I'm sure sweetie, but thank you for your concern."

"So Glenn? Luckiest boyfriend in the world?"

Ruby grinned happily. "I think Steven might disagree with me being with you, but Glenn's my man. I couldn't be happier."

"I'm glad. I think he's lucky to have you too."

"Thank you, now you need to get back to your man and get him back home to study. We don't need any of them convincing him to take the rest of the afternoon off to do something stupid."

Taylor giggled and raised a hand to cover her mouth. Ruby looped her arm with Taylor and led her out of the restroom.

Shay Residence  
>Wednesday, February 15, 2012<p>

Carly and Sam entered the apartment just like every weekday afternoon, but were surprised when there were about half a dozen different sculptures setup around the apartment. The surprise was short lived when the pair realized that Spencer getting the artwork ready to be shipped out to various people over the next day or two.

Spencer had picked up the pace and the quality of his work over the last several months. The pieces were now moving out nearly as fast as he got them done. Some were going to local art dealers, others to private collectors and the rest were getting displayed in several museums around the state and Canada due to Spencer's old contact when he did the labradoodle sculpture for the gentleman's wife a few years ago. It also didn't hurt his name recognition when people started to realize that he was the son of Taylor Dorfman and some of her old art fans and students were quite eager to help the offspring of their late idol and teacher get into the various art circles. Spencer was now making more than he did when he pretended to be dead and couldn't be happier. The money wasn't the primary source of the happiness, but the recognition as an artist. However, he wasn't going to be complaining about the extra income (and start putting a real dent into the money he owed Carly).

The Shay son caught a glance from the corner of his eye of the pair of teenage girls entering the apartment as he was at the end of the living room. "Hey kiddo, hey Sam," Spencer called out from the other side of another sculpture.

"Hey Spencer, could we talk?"

Spencer lifted his head away from the sculpture and looked at his little sister in concern. "Okay kiddo, what about?"

Carly swallowed nervously and looked to the floor for a moment. She let out a nervous breath then spoke, "I guess there's no other way, but to come out and say it: I'm going to marry Freddie."

Spencer smiled hesitantly, "That's great."

"That's great?" Carly asked in disbelief of seeing how easy with him it was going to be of a conversation. She looked to Sam for a moment who looked back at her just as stunned. The brunette let out a relieved breath and looked back to Spencer. "So you have no problem with me marrying Freddie?"

Spencer shook his head. "No, getting married after college would be great. You two can start a great life together."

Carly's face fell realizing that he really didn't understand. Carly took a deep breath before looking Spencer straight in the eyes. "No Spencer, we're going to get married before graduating."

Spencer raised an eyebrow and frowned to show his lack of understanding. "You want to get married while in college?"

"NO! Spencer, while still in school."

"School?"

"High School! I want to get married before me and Freddie graduate from high school," she shouted in a tone showing her irritation of not understanding what she meant.

Spencer blinked at her then looked to Sam. The blonde looked back at him with a rarely serious expression. It crossed his mind that she could be lying without saying a word, but he didn't think so this time.

"That's not funny Carly," he replied with a concerned voice.

"I'm not joking."

Spencer blinked again still having trouble comprehending her. He thought for a moment that this was some prank to get back at him for what he did nearly a year ago about all his pranking. He looked to Sam who still had that same serious look.

"You're serious?"

"Yes I am."

Spencer took a sharp intake of breath and covered his mouth. He dropped his hands a moment later and replied, "You are grounded until college."

"What!" she shouted with a mix of surprise and anger. "You just can't ground me until college!"

"Yes I can. I'm the adult and it's my responsibility to look after you."

Carly let out a disgusted breath. "Adult? Really? You're not grounding me over this."

"I'm an adult and yes I can."

"No you can't and why are you being like this?"

Spencer threw up his hands and shouted in shock, "Because you just told me you wanted to marry Freddie _now_!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"You're just seventeen," he implored in the hopes that she would see it from his point of view.

In a sarcastic tone, she replied, "I know how old I am Spencer."

Spencer threw out his hands. "Obviously not if you are seriously talking about this."

Carly clenched her jaw shut and glared at him for having the nerve to say that to her. "Don't you dare talk to me about 'acting our ages'!"

Spencer looked back just as angrily at her. "I'm not going to let you do it."

"It's not your decision to make," she snapped back. "I'm just letting you know. I thought my big brother would be happy for me."

"Not now; in the future yes, but not _now_."

"I guess you're just going to be miserably at the wedding then," she bit back in a cutting tone.

"Wedding? How do you expect to get married without my permission before you're eighteen? Huh?" he replied with that same mocking attitude when she tried to get him to sign a contract promising never to prank again.

"I'm going to ask dad. You know the one whose permission I actually need. The one that got married at eighteen with mom," Carly countered with her own smug look. "Then had you! How much older is dad than you? Eighteen years, eleven months."

Spencer shook his head, maybe out of desperation or really believing what he was about to say, "He's not going to give you permission."

She asked back with a hint of a grin, "Are you sure about that?"

Spencer swallowed down a large lump that formed in his throat. He gathered his courage and answered, "I'm not allowing you to see Freddie in the meantime."

Carly stared coldly at her brother and he actually flinched. "Don't you dare threaten me with that Spencer," she whispered in a tone that would have even frightened her if she wasn't so mad. "Don't you dare try to get in my way of seeing him. He's not Griffin or any other guy, he's Freddie. I can't go through nearly losing him again. I love Freddie and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"So this is your answer? Accepting a marriage proposal from him or he'll walk away."

"He won't walk away. He wouldn't give me that kind of ultimatum. I _proposed_," she replied sternly. "He said yes."

"You proposed?" Spencer palmed his forehead. "This is crazy."

She asked back, astonished at what he was saying, "Why? I love Freddie and I want to be with him and he wants to be with me. How is that crazy?"

Spencer shook his head and chuckled in disbelief. "Listen to what you're saying. You're seventeen and you've already decided that you want to spend the rest of your life with him. You need to wait before committing to marriage."

"Wait for what? What's going to happen, but more time to pass?"

The artist calmed down from his chuckling and looked at her with pity on his face. "Your feelings could change… like last time. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Sam's eyes opened and stared at the artist. She didn't believe that he would actually bring that up. Carly took a step back as she felt chill go through her heart. She looked to her older brother with barely suppressed fear. "This is real Spencer. I love him and I want to marry him."

"You might want that now, but not while I have a say, I'm not going to let you. You're just too young."

She gave him a cold stare. "You don't get a say and I'll see Freddie when I want to see Freddie." She then walked around that couch and up the stairs ignoring Spencer's look of annoyance.

The artist then turned his attention to Sam. The blonde asked awkwardly, "How was your day?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Special Guest Appearance by Mark Harmon as William Dorfman.**

Chapter 6

"You are not marrying her young man!" Marissa Benson shouted in desperation at her son.

Freddie sighed. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy conversation, but hoped it wouldn't start out this bad. Mother and son were standing in the middle of their living room; Freddie had hoped that neutral ground to have this conversation wouldn't make her feel like he was ambushing her with the news. "I'm eighteen mother. It isn't your decision to make," Freddie replied firmly.

"Yes, eighteen. You have your whole life ahead of you. You can't commit to being married. There are so many things that come with marriage that you're not ready for… have you two had sex?" she asked in horror thinking that her baby could already be engaged in that kind of behavior.

Freddie smacked his forehead with his palm and shook his head. "No, we have not had sex. That is not the issue here."

"It is an issue if that is why you want to marry her."

"Mother," he answered sternly to get her attention. "You know that Carly and my relationship is not based on that and is not a significant factor at the moment. We want to be together because we love each other. _That_ will happen when the time is right."

"But is it the right time for you to marry her?"

"Yes it is," he replied with determination in his voice.

Mrs. Benson let out a tired breath as she though on how to respond to that answer. "Is it right for her? She's just seventeen and I know you can't marry her before you're out of high school. Her birthday is at the end of July."

"Unless I get her guardian's—"

"Spencer won't let Carly get married," she interrupted glad that she had something concrete to argue with against her son.

"Or parent's permission," Freddie finished with a determined look.

"Steven won't give his—" she stopped when she saw Freddie's steady stare. Her face turned to one of horror. "He just might."

"Yes he might, since he did the same thing. I think he can relate and sympathize," he replied calmly. Freddie hoped that what he said was true, if it wasn't, all of this was a mute point and they would have to wait until after her eighteenth birthday.

"Just because he and his wife got married as teenagers, doesn't mean that you should. They had… unique reasons, reasons you don't have. So why is this sudden? Why did you ask her?"

Freddie tried to respond, but quickly closed his mouth when he realized that he didn't have an answer to her for the very simple reason that he didn't ask her.

Mrs. Benson easily caught the look of hesitation and asked again, "Why did you ask her to marry you?"

Freddie took a breath and replied calmly, "I didn't."

Her eyes muscles contracted and she tilted her head to look at him. "You didn't? Then how are you getting married?"

"She asked me and I said yes," he replied in a calm voice.

"So this is _her_ idea?" she hissed out the question.

Freddie clenched his jaw for a moment before answering, "Don't go there mom, just don't."

"She just asks you on a whim and you say yes—" she started with a shake of her head.

"It wasn't a whim on her part. She asked me why should we wait if we already know we love each other and want to spend the rest of our lives together. I realized that there isn't a reason. I was always thought she was going to say yes when I asked her one day, but I'm not disappointed that I was the one to accept."

The brunette with a tinge of dark red shook her head. A thought occurred to her and one that didn't make her too eager to suggest in this conversation. "Did she ask you because she could be sick?"

"What?"

His mother looked to him with a pained and sad expression. "I know how her mother and grandmother died."

Freddie shook his head and trusted Sam to tell him the truth. The thought of trusting Sam at the moment didn't fill him with much confidence, but it was a safe bet that she wouldn't joke about something that serious. "She's not sick. I'm not marrying her because of that possibility, but if she was and she asked, I'd still say yes."

"Then if she's not, then I'm still right: you're just eighteen. You can't tie your life down like that. Do you have any idea the responsibility of being a husband entails?"

"To be with her for better or for worse… for richer and for poorer… in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part."

"You're just citing the vows; do you really know what they mean?"

"Yes I do: that I want to be with her through the good times and bad, like we have always done. That it doesn't matter if we are rich or poor, as long as we have each other. That it doesn't matter if she gets… if she gets sick or I get sick, we will have each other and I will be there. I will love her and cherish her until my last dying breath or hers… and longer if it is her that gets to Heaven first."

Mrs. Benson looked at her only child in amazement. She then swallowed and looked to the floor for a moment. "I need to be alone for a little bit Freddie. I'll be in my room."

Freddie stared back at her in muted shock as she turned and headed to her room without a waiting for a reply. He stood there in the living room for a few minutes trying to figure out what just happened. _Definitely not the way he had planned the conversation._

Early June 1980

It was the end of the last day of school and Taylor was taking one last advantage of using the art classroom. Taylor had just finished a brush stroke when a piece of paper flashed in front of Taylor's face and felt a chin rest on her shoulder. She blinked for a second trying to figure out what she was in front of her face. She then realized that it was his math exam with a big red B+ written on the top.

She broke into a smile and twisted to throw her arms around him. "You got a B plus!"

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm lazy Taylor, not stupid. I also got a B minus in History, a B in Science and English. For a minute or so they thought I had cheated, but then they couldn't figure out how I could do it."

She pulled back slightly, but still held on to him. "I never thought you were stupid," she pouted.

Steven grinned and kissed her cheek. "I know you didn't."

She started giggling, "We need to celebrate."

"We do? How do you suggest we do that?"

She puckered her lips and lowered her gaze. Steven tried not to laugh at the expression. "I know, I'll make cupcakes."

"Cupcakes?"

She grinned and bit her lower lip. "You'll love my cupcakes."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "This sounds interesting. I'm learning something new about you everyday."

"Still like what you see?"

Steven burst out laughing and she smirked. After a few moments of laughter he calmed down and looked to meet her eyes. He gave her a devious smile and replied, "Maybe."

She grinned, showing her very cute dimples in his opinion, then cupped each of his cheeks and kissed him. "Let me finish what I'm doing and we can go home."

His smile faltered for a moment and blinked at her. His mind pulled away from the moment they were sharing and screamed, _Define home. Was home with her now?_.

She apparently picked up his slight change in demeanor and asked with a slightly downed expression, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head as she still held his cheeks in her hands. "Nothing, this cupcake thing sounds like fun."

She nodded hesitantly and kept her concerned expression. "Okay, I'm almost done then we can go."

Dorfman Residence  
>Early June 1980<p>

The sun was just going down as Steven watched from the island of the kitchen Taylor pouring the last of her cupcake batter into the trays. He smiled as he watched her giddiness at making the cupcakes. Like her art, she could be just as messy with her baking. There were smudges of flour on her bandana, cheeks and a tiny spot on the tip of her nose.

Barry walked in and took a seat beside Steven as Taylor was closing the oven. The shorter boy leaned over and asked in a whisper, "What is she baking?"

"Cupcakes," the longer haired boy casually commented.

Barry grinned. "You're making cupcakes?"

Taylor nodded to her brother with a grin.

He turned to Steven and asked quickly, "What did you do?"

"Why?"

"She's making cupcakes," Barry answered as if there was something wrong with Steven for not understanding the meaning of her baking.

He raised an eyebrow at the younger teenager then looked to Taylor. "You don't make cupcakes often?"

She grinned mischievously at him. "No, makes them more special when we have them."

Dorfman entered the kitchen and sniffing the air as he approached the group of teenagers. Barry piped up, "Taylor is making cupcakes." Dorfman looked to his son then to Steven with a confused expression. "What did you do?"

"Is her making cupcakes that rare an occurrence?"

"Yes… just she doesn't do it that often. So what did you do?"

Steven laughed for a moment. "I B-ed all my exams and she said that we should celebrate." He pointed to his girlfriend and continued, "She said she would make cupcakes."

"You B-ed your exams?"

"Well, I did wait to the last minute to study and she wanted me to do more than pass. Barry isn't too bad of a tutor in helping me catch up."

"Thanks Steven," Barry replied with his big grin.

Steven laughed, "No problem buddy."

Dorfman nodded his head. "While they're baking, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Steven hesitated in replying as he caught a glance of Taylor. She looked concerned once again of letting her father and Steven talking in private. He gave his girlfriend a brief smile then motioned for Mr. Dorfman to lead the way. The old war vet led Steven to the parlor.

"So Mister Dorfman..." Steven started off casually.

"So… Barry told me that you were pretty good at math and your science isn't bad either and you B-ed both?"

Steven grinned as he replied, "Yes sir, I still remember some stuff from a year ago."

Dorfman chuckled in response. "Are you going to keep it up when school starts back or are you going to slack off again?"

Steven shrugged a shoulder. "I depends if Taylor asks me to care again," he laughed, "sure not going to do it for my dad."

Dorfman raised a corner of his lip and raised an eyebrow. "You'll get by in school to spite your father, but you'll study because my daughter asked you to?"

Steven laughed louder. "Spiting my father? That would require caring on my part of his opinion."

The older gentleman asked in a sly tone, "But you cared what my daughter thought?"

Steven replied casually, "I told you, I'm trying to just get inside her panties."

Dorfman snorted out with a smile and shook his head, "You really like being a smartass. What's the real reason?"

"If I really wanted to tell you, I wouldn't be giving you smartass answers, now would I?"

"Fine, as long as you know why you're doing it. You do know why you're doing it?"

Steven raised a finger. "I'm still working on that."

"Okay, fair enough. Thought about college?"

"I have enough fights with my father about college; I don't want to start one with you," he replied in a dismissive tone.

"You don't want to go?"

"I don't know what I want to do, but I don't like the idea that I _have_ to go to have any self-worth."

"You don't have to go to college to find that about yourself. I've known plenty of people in my life without a degree that have done a lot of good, but you should keep in mind that Taylor is going to college, so what are you going to do then?"

Steven shook his head as he laughed in a tired manner, "I can barely see the next day, least long what I plan to do in the next few years."

"Do you want to keep doing what you are doing? Taking one day at a time?"

Steven replied somberly. "Some people think that you should take one day at a time and not worry about the future. I haven't much cared for it in a while."

"You should enjoy life that way, because you don't know if it will be your last. However, you don't want to realize one day that you've wasted your life away and wished you could do it over again."

Steven lowered his eyes and nodded. "Good advice."

Dorfman let out a breath and nodded as well. "Maybe I can help you figure something out over the summer. There are a lot of possibilities for a kid with your smarts and talents."

Steven chuckled, "Yeah, I could always do what you did and join the Air Force. Wow, that would be a joke."

Dorfman held back a grin. He whispered to himself, but low enough that Steven couldn't hear him over his own laughter, "Rough around the edges, but you could be officer material." The old flyer then spoke louder, "Why don't we go check on how those cupcakes are doing? Barry is a quick one; he just might hog them all and Taylor just might let him. She can't say no to him."

**Author's Note: So breaking the news was kind of interesting for all parties involved and we now know why cupcakes are Carly's favorites. See you Friday.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. I'm glad so many are enjoying this story so far. I have a treat for you with three chapters in this update. Thanks to those that reviewed, I appreciate it.**

Chapter 7

Shay Apartment  
>Wednesday, February 15, 2012<p>

Carly closed her eyes and tried to calm her breath as she sat at her bedroom desk and in front of the large monitor. She had called her father about ten minutes ago and wanted to have a video chat. She knew she couldn't tell him her news over the phone, she had to see him. With Spencer's reaction, she didn't know how her father would react, but she hoped and prayed that he would understand and more importantly support her decision.

A minute or so later the connection went through and her father's image appeared on the screen. She smiled as she saw the happy look on his face. He looked like he was enjoying being in DC and his new job, even if it was staff work he commented jokingly several times over the months. He was still having mixed feelings of not doing field work versus staff work, but he knew everything was going to be fine.

He asked cheerfully, "Hey kiddo! What's going on with you? How was your Valentine's Day?"

"It was fantastic," she replied as cheerfully as she could as she was still trying to calm her nerves after her talk with Spencer.

"Oh? You have to give me details," he eagerly encouraged.

"Well, the morning started off with a dozen red roses on my nightstand." She turned around and pointed to the nightstand were the flowers were still sitting. Shay was able to see them from across the room.

"Oh, those are pretty cupcake," he answered with a boyish grin.

"Thank you," the brunette replied with a nod. She then continued, "Freddie surprised me with some sweets at lunch at school then last night he took me out to the Space Needle."

Shay chuckled. "He went all out, didn't he?"

Carly's smile became bigger as she thought back on the experience and replied, "Yes he did." Her smile left her face and she took a deep breath before finishing, "But there is one last thing that happened."

The smile left Shay's face and was replaced with worry. "Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"It depends," she replied nervously.

He answered hesitantly, "Did things… go further than intended? Caught in the moment?"

"What?"

Shay's lip thinned and his eyelids opened wider. "Never mind."

Carly looked to him perplexed until she understood what he was trying to convey. Her mouth formed an O shape, "Oh… no, we didn't."

Shay let out a relieved breath. "Oh thank God."

"Dad?"

Shay tilted his head and let out a relieved breath. "I've already explained my feelings on that matter. I know it is your decision, but I have a preference and you'll be happier in the future if you followed that advice."

"I know…" she let her thoughts hang.

"So what happened?"

She took one last breath and dived, "We decided that we want to get married."

"You two want to do what?" Shay asked in shock from the other side of the video chat.

"I want to marry Freddie… as soon as we can," she replied nervously.

Shay just blinked. "That's what I thought you said," he spoke slowly and still with a hint of disbelief. "He asked you to marry him?"

Carly shook her head. "No."

"Then how—"

"I asked him to marry me… last night," she replied quickly.

Shay looked away from the screen and took a deep breath. "Were you planning to do that?"

She pushed down the uneasiness to answer, "No, it just… the moment felt right and I just needed to ask him and he said yes."

Shay did the last thing she expected: started laughing that turned into a loud belly laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked hurt at that being her father's reaction to the news.

Shay had to wipe the tears from under his eyes and tried to catch his breath several times. Once he was able to calm down enough to speak, he replied, "Because you are just like your mother."

"What?"

"Your mother asked me to marry her," he replied then shook his head. "I didn't propose, but I did say yes," he replied with a smile as he thought back to it.

Carly blinked at the news. "She did?"

"Yes she did. She loved me and wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together. It didn't matter that we were both seventeen. She didn't see the point in waiting, but we waited about a month until she reached eighteen; since her birthday was in January and mine is in December. We got married three days after your mother's birthday."

"So it's okay?" she asked hopefully in a small voice.

"Okay?" he asked hesitantly and unsure what she meant.

"For me and Freddie to get married now?"

Shay tilted his head slightly to the side. "But you're seventeen for another couple of months. You can't get married."

"Unless I have your permission," she answered with an awkward smile.

Shay let out a tired breath. "You're looking at it the same way your mother did? 'Why wait to get started with out lives together?'"

Carly nodded. "I guess so, I mean we came to the same conclusion if that was mom's reason too."

Shay closed his eyes and shook his head. He opened them and looked straight at her. "Just indulge me and answer a few of my questions, okay sweetie?"

"Yes sir," she answered hopefully and grateful that he hadn't just dismissed her out of hand.

"Okay… do you love him?"

"Yes," she answered with a soft smile.

"Does he love you?" he asked somewhat challenging in his voice.

"Dad?" she asked with a hint of amusement and disbelief.

Shay raised a finger and cracked a small smile. "I asked you to indulge me and you agreed. You have to keep your word young lady. I know the answers to some of these questions; I want to make sure you do."

She nodded her agreement and understanding, "Yes sir. He loves me."

"You're willing to forsake all others in the future for him right now?"

She looked at him with a thin lipped expression and determined eyes. "Yes, I want him and only him."

"Do you believe he's willing to do the same?"

"Yes."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Even after some of those other girls he looked at when he said he loved you the entire time?"

Her face softened as she replied, "Yes, he truly waited for me. They never had his heart and he never intended to hurt me when he was looking for companionship. I can't fault him for wanting someone there for him like that while I did the same with others."

Shay nodded. "Okay, are you willing to follow him where he goes?"

"Yes."

"Is he willing to follow you?"

She nodded, feeling more confident with each of her answers.

In a sad tone, Shay asked, "Will you forgive him when he needs it?"

She wasn't sure where that question originated, but she knew the answer anyway, "Yes, I would give him forgiveness when he needed it."

"Will he do the same for you?"

The memory of the way she had treated him at times stabbed at her. So many times that she allowed something bad to happen to him and she wouldn't raise a finger or utter a syllable in his defense. There were plenty of times and opportunities for him to simply walk away and told her to go to Hell for her lack of concern for him and putting so many others' considerations before him, but he had remained with her and forgave her. It was his ability to do that humbled her at times. She smiled warmly and replied, "He already has."

He nodded with a brief smile. The General lowered his head just slightly to make sure he was maintaining eye contact even through the video monitor. "Would you let him go if you knew he'd be happier with someone else? Would he really do the same for you?"

She took a sharp intake of breath. "How can you ask me that?"

"Think for a moment if the answer is yes to both questions."

Carly let out a breath and took that moment to think of the possibility. It was a quick exploration in her mind of the possible futures and what they meant to her present. It was terrifying yet comforting at the same time. "I understand. The answer is yes to both."

He nodded with a warm smile. "Okay, one last question: Do you really want to commit to holy matrimony with him?"

"Yes I do."

Shay took a slow breath and replied, "As your mother would say to me: 'There's no chance unless you take one'. I guess this is your chance for a happy life, but… if you want my permission to marry him, I have one condition. If you can't agree to that then you can just wait until after your birthday and resent me for it all you want, but I'm not going to budge from it."

"What?" she asked genuinely curious about his condition. She hoped it wouldn't be something outrageous, but her instincts told her that was probably not the case in regards to her father after what she had just been through with him.

"I want your word that you will take every necessary precaution in preventing a pregnancy for the next few years."

Carly had to laugh at all the build up that her father was making a fuss about and it turned out to be about her getting pregnant. "You sure don't want grandkids from me anytime soon do you?"

However, she quickly stopped laughing when she saw the serious look on his face. "It's not that, I just want you to be able to carry a child to term."

"Why would you say that?" she asked with a hint of genuine fear in her voice.

Shay took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "As you obviously know, I and your mom had Spencer fairly early and your mother was a small and slim girl. It turned out that it was a rough pregnancy on her and I'm not going to lie to you, it was pretty scary at times about whether she could make it to term with him. Years later with you, even though she was in thirty-one, she still had some health concerns not related to the leukemia scare a few years earlier in regards to you. You're still taking the vitamin supplements aren't you? I'm glad you don't have regular asthma problems you did when you were a child, but there was that scare a few months ago."

Shay took another deep breath and tried to meet his daughter's eye through the monitor. "I'm not trying to scare you. I just… want you to be prepared for when you and Freddie decide you want to become parents. I want you to be a little older and stronger before carrying a child. I don't… I don't want you to lose a child through a miscarriage or you dying in child birth. I want to give you both the best fighting chance."

Carly swallowed as she met her father's eyes. He was completely serious about his condition for allowing her to get married. She had never seen him afraid before this moment in her life.

She replied in a small voice, "Okay daddy… I promise."

He nodded his head and swallowed down a lump he didn't realize had formed in his throat. "Okay then, you're going to go head and see a doctor about starting on birth control and I will get in touch with who I need to at the courthouse and get started on the paperwork."

She nodded, "I will. I promise. Thank you dad."

He nodded with a smile. "You're welcome Carlotta. When you're ready, I'll be there for the wedding, but don't you dare get married until I can get there, okay? Also, when you see Freddie, tell him I need to speak with him. We need to talk about a few things, details and some advice on marriage."

"Advice?"

Shay chuckled. "Marriage isn't roses and sunshine everyday. You two already know that in a relationship: there are bumps and heartache. It doesn't get any easier with marriage and a little advice from someone who has been in a successful marriage might help you two out in the long run."

Carly smiled warmly. "Thanks dad."

He smiled back at his daughter. "You're welcome cupcake. Now I need you to go get Spencer. He and I need to talk."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Spencer took a seat at Carly's desk and looked on as his father let out a tired breath. "So… your sister asked Freddie to marry her and he said yes."

"Yes sir, she wants to get married now," he replied in a disbelief tone and shaking of his head.

Shay started hesitantly, "About that—"

"I know!" He shouted in disbelief, "It's crazy!"

In a soft tone, Shay asked, "Is it?"

Spencer's face fell and looked to his father with wide open eyes. "What?"

The General let out a breath knowing that this was not going to be an easy conversation. "Is it crazy Spencer? Is it crazy that she wants to marry the person she's in love with right now?"

Spencer found his voice a moment later, "Yes!"

Shay raised an eyebrow. "Was it crazy when your mother asked me around that same age?"

The artist started off slowly, "That… that's not comparable!"

He tilted his head to the side and looked at his first born with a raised eyebrow, "How is that not comparable?"

Spencer's jaw dropped open and blinked several times before shouting, "Because it was mom!"

Shay smiled and shook his head. "I admire your loyalty to your mother, but this is a comparable situation. Carly loves Freddie and he agreed to marry her. That's how it worked for me and your mom… that's why I'm going to give Carly my permission to marry Freddie."

Spencer stood up from the seat and looked his father straight into the eyes as if he was just on the other side of the desk instead of the other side of the country.

"You're what?"

Shay smiled. "I'm going to give her my permission."

Spencer dropped back in the seat and shook his head. "You can't be serious. I'm in a weird episode of Galaxy Wars."

The old flyer shook his head. "I'm quite serious. She wants to marry him and after talking to her, I'm satisfied that she knows what she's doing."

"Have you lost your mind? She's just seventeen!"

Shay chuckled, "I still have all my faculties Spencer and I'm aware of her age, but it's a mute point if I agree or not." The father cleared his throat and calmed down from the chuckle to speak clearly to his upset son, "She's going to do it anyway after her eighteenth birthday then resent us afterwards if we interfere."

Spencer shook his head vigorously. "You don't know that! We have months to convince her otherwise."

Shay's brow furled. "I'm not going to talk my daughter out of marrying the person she loves."

"You just have to tell her to wait a little while. You know I don't have anything against Freddie, it's just that she's not ready."

Shay lowered his head a little bit and shook it as if he suddenly became very tired. "Maybe she is, maybe she's not. I can make a lot of decisions before she turns eighteen, but I can't make that one for her."

"Why?" the artist asked with a look on his face that told Shay his son was desperately trying to understand his father's reasoning.

"I won't be my father."

Spencer's mouth formed an 'O' and replied, "Oh… so this is about your pride? This—conflict you still have with Granddad."

Shay leaned back in his chair. "Maybe a little bit, but I know they love each other and if they want to get married, I'm not going to interfere."

"But you don't have to help," he counted sternly.

Shay rubbed his chin for a second before asking, "What do you think your mother would do if she was here?"

Spencer blinked as was taken aback by the question. He finally found his voice after what seemed like minutes, "I think… I think she would be happy for them, but I'd still say the same thing: they aren't ready."

Shay smiled. "I'm glad to see that you are still a man of your convictions."

"Thank you dad, but I can't talk you out of giving her permission?"

"No."

Spencer let out a tired breath as if he had just run a marathon. "I can't support this and you can't convince me this is the right thing to do."

"I know and I respect your position. You are doing what you think is best, but I am still the father and it is still my decision. I need you to call Carly back in here."

Spencer nodded in what he felt was a defeat. He stepped out of the room for a few minutes then entered with Carly. Shay smiled at his children and began, "I've talked to your bother. He doesn't agree with my decision, but I respect his position. He believes what he is doing is right because he loves you and is thinking about your best interests. You should remember to thank him for that at some point. The wedding is going forward and we are not going to have any problems in the meantime."

Carly spoke up, "Good, because Spencer tried to ground me until college and that I wasn't to see Freddie until we talked to you about it."

He looked Spencer squarely in the eyes as he spoke, "Spencer, you are not allowed to interfere with Carly and Freddie seeing one another. Remember: that is my home; I have the final say of who comes and goes. Do I make myself clear?"

Spencer mumbled out, "Yes, sir."

"What was that?" he asked in a stern voice.

In a clearer voice he replied, "Yes, sir."

Shay looked back to his daughter. "Carly, you will not rub that in his face and you will respect his decision in disagreeing with you marrying this soon. Don't let this disagreement spread to other parts of your lives. No sniping at each other over stupid little stuff as a way to argue over this matter under the radar. Okay?"

The siblings looked at each other hesitantly. Each leaned in for a one arm hug. It wasn't the friendliest hug, but it wasn't a forced one either.

"Well, at least that's settled. Remember what I said: no interference, no sniping, I'll start on the paper work, I'll talk to Freddie later and you young lady are going on birth control as we agreed."

"Birth control?" Spencer piped up.

Shay raised an eyebrow. "You ready to be an uncle nine months after the wedding? She's starting now. Gives her time to see about side effects and whether she needs to switch to another brand."

Carly cleared her throat as she was quite apprehensive in asking, "How do you know this?"

Shay laughed nervously. "The first time around for your mother really, _really_ didn't agree with her and between the switchover to another type, we got a little surprise."

"Little surprise?" Carly asked with a raised eyebrow.

The short haired older man laughed with a big grin, "He's standing beside you."

Carly looked up at the same time as Spencer looked down at her and each traded looks of horror and amusement.

Shay just started laughing louder.

"Dad?" they both turned and shouted at him.

He let out a breath and shook his head. "I love you two, but listen: I have to go. I'm three hours ahead of you and it is approaching my dinner time and I'm starving."

The siblings smiled at their dad and waved. "Love you dad," Carly called followed by Spencer, "Talk to you later dad."

He smiled to both of them then the feed cut and switched to the desktop view. Carly looked back to her brother. "I love you Spencer."

Spencer smiled back then pulled her into a hug. "I love you too kiddo."

* * *

><p>It was later in the evening when Freddie decided to come over. The door was unlocked and he let himself inside. The artist's barely spared a glance from his sculpture and towards the teenager as he greeted the younger man in a chill tone that Freddie picked up in an instant, "Freddie."<p>

Freddie nodded as casually. Carly had apparently told Spencer and he had already made up his mind. Freddie knew at the moment he couldn't say anything to convince the artist to change his opinion. "Carly upstairs?"

Spencer didn't look up from his sculpture as he answered, "Yes."

Freddie didn't bother exchanging another word with the older man. He simply went up the stairs and put off the discussion for another time. If Spencer didn't want to speak with him, he wasn't going to force a conversation.

Freddie rapped on the bedroom door and a few seconds later it opened to reveal a smiling brunette. "Freddie?"

"Hey?" he asked in a reserved tone. Her smiling face reassured him somewhat, but he did have some lingering doubts. Her smile faulted slightly and she tilted her head slightly. She reached out her hand for him and instinctively he took it. She gently pulled him to get him to walk inside. Once he was inside, she turned around and locked the door behind them.

Once she turned to face him, he let out a nervous breath and asked the most important question on his mind, "What did your dad say?"

Carly grinned and bit her lip. "He said yes."

Freddie blinked and his mouth hung open slightly. "Yes? He said yes?"

She nodded and her smile grew bigger. Freddie shouted for joy and rushed to the long haired brunette. He lifted her off of her feet and the pair spun around. She cupped his cheeks and laughed with joy. She lowered her head and kissed him exuberantly. He sat her down and gave her the biggest grin he thought possible.

She continued to cup his cheeks as he whispered in a non-too manly giggle, "We're getting married."

She nodded with just as big a grin. "We're getting married." She then kissed him again and Freddie gently took her hips in her hands. They deepened the kiss and they started moving towards her bed. They broke only momentarily to catch their breaths and watch where they steps up the stairs. Her hands left his cheeks and slid behind his head and ran her fingers through his hair.

Their legs bumped the side of the bed in their unguided walking. They both out of instinct sat on the edge of the bed as they continued to trade soft, slow kisses. It was uncertain which leaned over first, but the pair gently lay down on their sides. Carly's hands continued to massages the back of her boyfriend's head as he deepened her kisses and increased the duration of each kiss. Freddie's free hand (the one that Carly wasn't laying on) left her hip and he allowed his finger tips to gently glide across the side of her abdomen then reach to the small of her back through her shirt.

She smiled into their mutual kisses as his touches on her back began to tickle her. She rolled to her back in an unintentional way of stopping the tickling sensation that was traveling through her spine. As her hands were still behind Freddie's head and neck, she pulled him with her was lying halfway on top of her and on the bed.

Her right hand pulled away from his head and slid down his firm shoulder, chest then across his abdomen. She smiled into another kiss as she realized that rehab had been very, _very_ good to Freddie. His kisses started tracing away from her mouth and across her jaw line then down her neck where he was taking extra care around her pulse point which he knew, after months of intimacy between the pair, she loved if her sweet coos to his ears were any indication of the fact.

After a few moments, he traveled up with kisses back to her mouth. As the brunette closed her eyes and focused her full attention back onto the kissing she was sharing with just as eager partner, she instinctively and without realizing it, her right hand slid further down his abdomen and brushed over the front of his jeans. Her eyes flashed open and she pushed him with her other hand slightly for him to roll to his side.

"Sorry—" he started, but she brought up her left hand and placed her index finger over his lips. She smiled bashfully, but warmly. "No, you have nothing to apologize for… we have nothing to be sorry about, but…"

"What?"

"This does bring up something else I need to tell…"

He blushed at the statement.

Her lips puckered like a fish at realizing what she had said. He looked way and his blush deepened. Her finger tips tenderly took his chin and lifted his head up to meet her eyes. She then gave him a slow affectionate kiss. She then bit her bottom lip for a moment before whispering, "I'm sorry."

He smiled and the blush began to fade returning his cheeks to their normal color. He then nodded his acceptance of her apology. "What do you need to tell me?"

Carly swallowed down the nervousness that threatened to prevent her from speaking. She found the courage and began, "I had to promise my dad something in order to get his permission."

"What was that?" Freddie asked with a concern look.

Carly let out a nervous breath. "We have to take all the precautions we can… to a…"

"What?"

"To not have any children anytime soon after we're married."

Freddie's lips pursed and a slight blushed formed. "He doesn't want us to follow in their footsteps?"

Carly shook her head slightly. "It's just not that, he's concerned about my health in carrying a baby in the next few years."

Freddie's face fell and he felt like the bottom of his stomach fell out. With a hand still under her side and his other on her hip, he instinctively pulled her closer to hold her and now their faces were just an inch or so apart. "Your health?"

"There were some health concerns with my mom carrying Spencer and he doesn't want a repeat of that with me," she explained then swallowed down the uneasiness she felt forming in her stomach. "It turns out it wasn't any easier when mom had me. You know, I had some health problems when I was really young, then there was our scare in November and I still take some vitamin supplements."

Freddie smiled at her and let out a nervous breath that tickled Carly's nose. "And we got through it. I know about the vitamins you take, I can name them all."

Carly laughed a tension relieved laugh. After a moment, she looked back into Freddie's eyes and continued, "He wants me to be a little older and stronger before we start… he doesn't want me to miscarry or…"

"Or what?"

It was a hollow whisper from her lips, "Die in childbirth."

The last time Freddie had felt fear like this was in those brief moments he saw the taco truck heading for Carly as she was crossing the street. Freddie pulled her into a complete hug and whispered, "We are going to have a long and healthy life together and one day you are going to be holding a healthy baby boy or girl and everything is going to turn out fine. You have to believe."

She hugged him tightly back and closed her eyes. She tried to suppress a few tears, but they slipped through and ran down her cheeks. She whispered back, "A long and happy life together."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Late June 1980

Steven sat there captivated as he watched Mister Dorfman quickly do some calculations on the notepad and assumed some in his head before quickly jotting down notes in the document and then drawing rudimentary figures of mechanical pieces. The former flyer was designing almost from the ground up something far more complicated than any of the mechanical manuals Steven had ever examined when learning about various vehicular engines and other mechanical parts. He understood some of the basics, but most of what the retired Colonel was drawing was above the teenager's head.

Dorfman wasn't blind or heartless at seeing from the corner of his eye that Steven was trying to keep up and understand the process. The older man would occasionally point and explain certain aspects that he thought was giving Steven a particularly hard time at grasping. After about half an hour of drafting and explaining, Dorfman was finished with his section of the design. He started gathering the drawings then rolled them up and putting them in cylinder container. A quick snap of the led then a tape across the top with a quick signature and he was finished.

Dorfman looked to Steven and held up the cylinder. "They need this ASAP."

"Yes sir," the teenager replied with a nod and took the roll.

Before Steven could dash off, Dorfman called out, "Before you go, I think Taylor wanted to see you."

"Okay," he replied as he was already heading up the stairs with the cylinder in his hands.

Dorfman got up and called at him, "And make sure they sign the confirmation slip."

"Yes, sir," was echoed back at the salt and pepper haired man.

Steven a few moments later was entering the Taylor's haven. He stopped for a moment to admire the sweet brunette. Taylor was dressed in her painting smock and an old red bandana as she worked on a painting that she had been keeping secret from him. He was of course curious and had to fight the urge to peak under the cover to see what the fuss was about, but he respected her wishes on the matter.

Taylor looked around her left side of the painting and asked, "Barry's at the arcade; could you pick him up? I don't want him late for dinner."

Steven smirked and shrugged a shoulder. "Not a problem. I just have to run this over for your dad and I'll pick Barry up on the way back." He walked over with the intention of giving her a goodbye kiss and maybe, just maybe getting a peak at the painting. She understood exactly what he was doing and raised a finger to stop his approach. "No peaking. I'll give you a kiss when you get back,"

Steven chuckled and shook his head. "Fine, have it your way. I'll be back in a bit." He turned and headed out of the loft/attic.

"Bye!" she called out with a wave.

He looked over his shoulder and waved back. "Bye sweetie."

After a quick drop off with the plans at the Aeronautical office, Steven pulled up outside of the arcade. As usual on a beautiful summer afternoon, it was packed with kids and teenagers. The long haired teenager parked his motorcycle and turned off the ignition in a long practiced motion without a second thought needed to dismount.

He made his way through the packed arcade and recognized a few faces as he wormed his way through to find the younger teenager. He made his way through without a problem with a few exchanged head nods and high fives. Once he made it deep in the arcade, Steven found Barry exactly where he expected: playing on the Pak-Rat machine.

He noticed that there were a number of people gathered rooting the sandy haired teenager on as he made his way through a level. A few patrons were annoyed that the kid was hogging the machine and looked liked they wanted to do something about it. Steven eyed some of the patrons harshly and few looked away and others took a step back.

Steven turned back to the other supporters and slid between them to get beside Barry on his right and leaned on the side of the machine with a hand on the top, front face. Some of them gave him an annoyed look because he was blocking their view. He looked over his shoulder and gave them an equally harsh glare as he did the others.

He looked back to his girlfriend's brother and asked, "Barry?"

"Oh hey Steven," he replied as he continued to play without sparing a glance.

"Come on Barry, it's getting late. Your sister is going to kill me if I don't have you home before dinner,"

The younger teenager sighed heavily and with a little bit of a whine to Steven's ears. "Just one more game Steven, please?"

Steven sighed and his shoulders slumped. "You are going to be the one to explain to your sister why we're late. I'm not doing it." He looked at the top of the screen and saw the score and credits left. He immediately palmed his forehead. "Barry you are going to be here until they close with the amount of credits you have. How many quarters did you put in?"

"One," Barry answered with a grin as he gave the cat a slip on the screen.

Steven rolled his eyes and whispered, "Figures." He looked back at the younger teenager. "Barry, finish the level then we have to go home."

"But Steven—"

"You got your quarter's worth and we need to go home for dinner."

"Oh, you have a bike, we can get home in no time," Barry laughed off with a wide grin.

Steven laughed over the noise of the cheering and general noise of the place before replying, "It's a motorcycle not a hoverbike from Galaxy Wars, besides, your sister would really kill me if I sped home with you riding on the back."

"I won't tell her," he grinned mischievously.

Steven realized that look ran in the family of being just a little bit devious. "Your sister can see right through you. She'd figure it out in a second, so just finish your game so we can go home."

"Fine," he answered in a deflated tone.

Barry finished one more level and handed it off to another random player. He took a quick look at his score: 879,047. It wasn't that bad Barry thought as he and Steven headed off to the older teenager's motorcycle.

Shay Apartment  
>Thursday, February 16, 2012<p>

Sam Puckett was one unhappy teenager as she sat on a stool in the iCarly Studio and she let her irritation show when stating, "This isn't going to work."

"Do you have a better idea?" Freddie asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he adjusted the rarely used brunette wig on her head. He hated to admit it, but the wig did look and fit good on the blond. In his opinion, someone would have to take a moment to really look and realize it was a wig.

"They are going to think it's us that are getting married," she drawled out resisting the urge to slap his hands away from her hair. The only reason she didn't was because this was for Carly and she didn't want to do anything that could mess what they are doing up… besides, he'd probably slap her back without holding back. Even after months of their 'relationship' trying to find a new balance, there were times she would get right up to the line of his tolerance of her remarks and from the look in his eyes, ready to just smack her like all the times she had hit him in the past.

He replied just as annoying, "You're going to be in this wig. People are not going to recognize you. We just walk in, look over the ring and pick it up if it's good enough. Besides so the Seddies think we're getting married. What do I care? They are your fans, you deal with them."

"They're your fans too," she pointed out.

"Yeah, like they care about my opinion," he replied flippantly. He then stepped back to see his work. The long haired brunette wig fit perfectly and she was ready to go.

"What's going on?" a voice to their side asked with a hesitant tone. The pair turned and saw Brad standing at the entrance to the studio with a raised hand. The look on his face agreed with his tone of being concerned what was going on between the pair.

"Nothing," Sam answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly she thought at seeing Brad's look becoming even more confused. "We're still trying to figure out what kind of show we want to do for a Graduation Finale and trying a few costume ideas out."

Brad narrowed his eyes at her and smiled indicating to Sam that he didn't believe her.

"What? I can care," Sam replied indignantly.

"Maybe I can help… pick up the ring?"

"What ring?" Sam rattled back quickly.

He motioned his hand to Freddie. "The engagement ring I'm guessing Freddie is picking up for Carly."

They looked to him with a mixed look of annoyance and guilt in being caught.

Brad smiled briefly. "You did say marriage and ring and I doubt that Freddie is going to be asking anybody else to marry him."

Sam got up for her seat and walked up into his face. She stared him right in the eyes and whispered, "You breathe a word to this to anyone and I'll beat the fudge out of you. You got it?"

Brad laughed as if he just got a punch line to a joke.

Sam narrowed her eyes at him and growled. She looked like she was ready to pounce on him.

He raised his hands up in response. "Okay, I get it. Not a word, but you two look like you could really use some help."

Freddie looked to Sam for a moment wondering if she was going to hit Brad or not. Freddie spoke up before Sam could make a decision, "Yes we could… I'm trying to buy Carly an engagement ring, but I can't exactly go into a place and pick a ring up so we're going in disguise."

"What about on-line? You can buy real jewelry from legit people can't you?"

"Yes you can and I've check out a few of the local places, but I can't trust an online picture, not with this; I have to see it for myself to make sure it's spectacular for Carly. This is going to be her engagement ring and I can't leave it to chance."

Sam looked to Brad for a moment and a thought occurred to her. She looked to the brunette and asked, "Would you trust me to make sure alone?"

"What?" Freddie wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.

Sam took a few steps back to Freddie and hesitantly asked, "Would you trust me to make sure that it would be perfect for Carly?"

Freddie blinked as he studied the serious look on Sam face. He narrowed his gaze at the blonde as he thought about the answer to her question.

Fox's Gem Shop  
>1341 5th Avenue<br>Seattle, WA

"Are you sure about this?" Sam asked him with what sounded to him to be genuine concern. The pair was standing outside ready to enter Fox's Gem Shop. It was nearly closing time and there were only a few shoppers left wrapping up their purchase. Sam was still wearing the long haired brunette wig with slight curls to it. She had decided to dress more 'feminine' than her usual attire, with bright colored blouse and a skirt that went to her mid-thighs that she had borrowed from Carly without permission and a little bit of perfume, to complete the disguise. Sam had to stop herself from trying to tug on the strains of hair that gently fell on either side of her face.

Brad on the other hand was dressed casually with blue jeans and light blue unbutton Flannel Overshirt. The only 'disguised' he was wearing was a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap. Fortunately, Brad had never been in front of the camera, so it was highly unlikely anyone would recognize him other than other students from Ridgeway.

He laughed softly before replying, "Yes, what's the worst that could happen?"

"My extreme Seddie Warriors could carry you off somewhere like the extreme Creddies did Adam months ago at Webicon," the blonde replied with a raised eyebrow and smirk.

"Right… but I have you to protect me, so I should be fine. Besides, no one is going to recognize you in that brunette wig and your very lovely outfit."

"Watch it," Sam warned with a narrow stare.

He chuckled in response, "Remember, you're acting and you have a part to play, so don't break character. I'm going to be playing a character, so I can't break character either… dear."

Sam clenched her jaw and shook her head at him. "You're going to be too smart for your own good."

"I guess we'll find out," he smiled then motioned towards the door. Sam walked in front of him and was about to open the door to the jeweler when Brad reached for the door handle and opened it for her. She suppressed a smile as the pair entered the store.

Sam quickly recognized a particular salesperson from the description that Freddie had given her of the person he had spoke to on the phone. She led Brad by the arm towards the woman on the other side of the glass counter.

Brad spoke up and making sure he kept his sunglasses on even if it was a hard to see this deep inside the store, "Miss Anderson?"

"Yes?" the curly haired blonde woman in her early thirties replied in cheerful voice.

"I'm Mister Benson and I believe we spoke on the phone about an engagement ring that I wanted to get for my love here," he answered with a smile and wrapped his arm around Sam's waist to pull her close. Sam gave a hesitant smile to the saleswoman as Brad's fingers tickled her side through the shirt.

"Oh yes sir, I have your ring ready for viewing. If you would give me one moment to get it for you," she answered with a broad smile on her face. She apparently was quite eager for the sale to go through and quickly went to the back of the store to retrieve the ring.

A few moments later the blonde was back with the ring on the opposite side of the counter. The saleswoman lifted the box and showed the pair a white gold band with a small, but very beautiful diamond mounted in the center. Sam was captivated by the beauty of the ring and let the smile spread across her face. Of course she would never admit that to anyone, but she Freddie had good taste and that Carly would love it.

"It is beautiful honey, I love it," she signaled to Brad. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Anything for my girl."

Sam bit back her tongue for a moment before replying, "Thanks honey." That was not the counter-signal, but it seemed to convince the sales lady that the pair was a couple. She wore a plastered smile as she thought of ways of getting back a Brad for that little stunt.

After a few minutes of paper work and Brad paying the sales woman from some of money earned out of investing some of the Freddie's portion of the settled Tech-Foot money, the pair was out of the store with the ring safely secured with Sam and none the wiser to the true identity of the pair. Sam immediately pulled out her phone and dialed the Tech-Producer's number. After two rings, the other end picked up. "Freddie? Done," she answered then pushed the end button on her phone.

After putting her phone away, she turned to Brad with a murderous look on her face. "What was that?"

"What?" he asked grinning brightly at the disguised blonde.

Sam crossed her arms and glared at him as she asked, "The kiss?"

"I was selling the performance," he replied innocently.

"Selling the scene? Kissing me was required to 'sell the scene'?"

"Yes, but if you don't want the kiss then give it back to me," he picked back at her with a grin.

Sam let out a breath at the audacity of his statement. "Is this your way of trying to get me to kiss you? You think this is funny?"

Brad grinned. "You're the comedian that gets on the web every week with a million viewers, you tell me?"

She took a step forward to look him straight in the eyes. "You really are too smart for your own good."

"That's why you hired me as an intern and had me do this with you… and I make some killer brownies. You can't forget about the brownies."

Sam cracked a smile and shook her head. She looked to him and motioned in a direction with her head. "I'll deal with you later. Come on, let's get back before Freddie has kittens."

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this update. Wow, a lot got done for the Shays and a little for Sam/Brad. See you on Monday.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hello my dear readers. I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. Thank you to all that read and reviewed.**

Chapter 10

Benson Apartment  
>Thursday, February 16, 2012<p>

Freddie debated with himself who had the easier job sat in front of one of his computer monitors waiting for the video chat box to appear: Sam and Brad getting the ring without anyone figuring out who they were or him about to have this conversation with Steven Shay.

He didn't have long to wait as the request for a video chat appeared on his screen. After taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Freddie clicked yes. A moment later, General Shay appeared with a smile on his face.

Freddie suddenly felt self conscious about himself and sat up straighter in his chair. He cleared his throat and greeted him, "Hello Mister Shay."

Shay grinned, "Hi Freddie… do you want a little small talk to calm your nerves or do you just want to jump right into it?"

The question alone seemed to calm Freddie's nerves as he looked at the older man. Speaking with far more self confidence than he felt, Freddie spoke, "I guess there's no point in putting it off: I'm marrying your daughter."

Shay nodded and asked with a little joy in his voice, "So you said yes?"

Freddie smiled as he nodded then replied, "Yes sir I did."

Freddie was surprised when the General chuckled, "It's an interesting feeling when the girl asks the question, since it's usually the other way around?"

"You could say that… I knew that _I_ was going to ask her one day, but I didn't think it was going to be this soon." Freddie wasn't sure he was suppose to admit the last part to the old flyer, but what was said was said and there wasn't no taking back what he meant.

Shay gave the teenager a warm smile as he replied, "Life has a way of surprising you, for good and bad… I want to talk to you about some of those surprises."

"So you're still supportive of Carly and me getting married?"

"More like I know the hardships you are going to face by marrying so young, but I can't really tell you to do otherwise since I did it, unless I regretted it. I don't and would do it all again if given the same choice, but it gives me the advantage of helping you like my father-in-law helped me."

"If you didn't marry so young, would you have told her no?"

Shay grinned. "I'll save that for another quantum reality. I'm not much into what ifs; brings too much heartache for me, so let's leave it at that."

"Thanks Mister Shay," Freddie replied with an understanding smile.

"You're welcome… and the first thing I want to talk to you about is: what kind of wedding are you going to have? Small and private or huge and grandiose? How much is it going to cost me?"

"Carly wants a small wedding with just a few people attending. She wants as few people as possible knowing about it. She doesn't want it to become a spectacle for the fans. After we're married, they can know about it and celebrate and complain."

"Understandable… have you told anyone else about the wedding, besides Sam and Spencer? I assume Sam has to know by now."

"Yes, other than my mother, Brad found out while Sam and I were talking."

"Brad?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Freddie shrugged a shoulder as he replied, "He's our intern. He's with Sam right now picking up the engagement ring."

"You're getting her a ring?"

"Have to."

"Smart fellow," Shay replied with a smile and nod. "Okay, so after you get married, where are you going to live? I assume you aren't going to live separately," he finished with a slight shake of his head.

"I haven't thought about it," he replied hesitantly. The thought had never occurred to him. He hadn't thought about the detail questions except that he knew he had to get an engagement ring and just the idea for a small, private wedding.

Shay grinned. "See, this where you're going to need me for the advice. Twenty year marriage, two kids and started just as early as you're going to start, you really are going to need my help."

"I'd appreciate any help you could give me. What do you suggest?"

To Freddie it looked as if Shay was thinking deeply on the subject, but a part of him doubted the appearance. He assumed the General would have already thought of the answer before bringing up the question. He was probably just putting on the deep thinking act for Freddie's benefit. A moment or so later, Shay replied, "I suggest that you move into the apartment and Carly's room becomes your shared room because you can't afford a place of your own and Carly is not moving in with you and your mother. No, that can't happen; they'd be fighting over who was the matriarch of the home and it is your mother's home. However, since it is my home… you're going to help out with the rent when you can if you're going to stay."

"Okay, I understand."

It seemed like a reasonable solution to the problem to Freddie. Carly's room was relatively huge by any standard and would have plenty of room for them to share. He just hoped that she would come to the same conclusion. The brown eyed teenager had to suppress a grin in realizing that her bed was large enough for the pair and he knew that from personal experience.

A thought did occur to the Tech-Producer and he asked his future father-in-law, "Do you mind me asking? Does Spencer pay rent?"

Shay shook his head. "No, but Spencer and I had an agreement: he could live there rent free until Carly started for college since he was being her guardian. If he wanted to stay after that he had to help out with the rent. Now that she is going to get married, that arrangement is prematurely going to end. If he's going to stay after you're married, then he's paying rent."

"Are you going to ask Carly to pay rent?"

Shay shook his head again. "That was only if she was still there after college, because Spencer stayed in the apartment rent free when he was going to college and I'm giving my kids the same treatment, but that is a mute point: you're going to be the husband and it is your responsibility to provide for your family even if Carly is making more money than you in the future. I know that from personal experience. I'm just old fashion that way."

Freddie raised an eyebrow from the statement.

Shay answered the unasked question, "Taylor made more money in just her art commissions than I did during my company grade officer years and then that's not even adding her teacher salary when she was an art teacher at Ridgeway at the same time."

Freddie nodded at the answer.

"Okay, since that is out of the way, what about the near future? Going to separate colleges is out of the question now."

"Yes it is; we did apply to a few separate ones just for some options, but we mostly applied to the same universities. The last time we talked about it we were fairly sure that we were going to go to the University of Washington in Seattle together. It has a great Computer Science and Engineering program and English and Drama programs for whichever she finally decides she wants to take."

Shay grinned and raised a finger, "I know that two of the campuses have an Air Force ROTC program…"

A look of panic formed on Freddie's face for a moment and he choked out, "Ah, sir… I never gave it much thought about joining the service."

Shay's smile grew as he asked, "Who said I was talking about you?"

Freddie raised an eyebrow and tried to speak, but no words would exit his mouth.

The General started laughing. "What? I could see my Carly flying an F-Twenty-Two in a few years even if I flew F-Fifteens. She has the body frame for it; I know she could pull more g's than I could after college. I wouldn't mind her following in her grandfather and my combat boots."

Freddie just started laughing then Shay joined the teenager in laughter. After a few moments to calm down, Freddie replied, "I don't thank I could handle being a military husband."

"Well it is just a thought," the General countered as he finished his laughter. "Okay, I'm paying for Carly's and Sam's tuition, but not yours unless it is in the form of a loan, which I would collect from you at some point. It worked that way between me and Colonel Dorfman; I don't see why it wouldn't work for us."

"I understand and I'll let you know if I need the help," Freddie answered in a relieved tone.

"Fine… did Carly discuss with you my condition for signing my permission?"

Freddie took a breath and stared back at the General as he answered, "Yes and I agree with you, but one day she's going to hold her child and that we had to believe everything would work out alright."

"That's what I'm counting on, because you have fight for your happiness. There are plenty of things and… people that will have no problem getting in your way, so don't be intimidated by anyone and I mean _anyone_."

"I understand sir," Freddie replied with a nod. He knew he wouldn't let anyone get in his way of being happy with Carly, even other people that meant dear to him.

Shay spoke up pulling Freddie out of his thoughts, "One other thing, Spencer is not happy if you can tell. I told him that he can't interfere with you and Carly, but still… don't take any mess from him. If he dishes it out, you better give it right back to him. I'm already taking a side with one of my children by agreeing to this, I'd prefer to stay out of anymore conflict over this with Spencer and leave it up to you. I'm not one of those parents that have a favorite child and I don't want either thinking otherwise."

"I'll work it out with Spencer and keep you out of it."

Shay gave a polite nod. "Thank you… I know we probably forgot to talk about something, but we'll talk again before the wedding. If you need anything or you just need to talk, don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

"I will thanks… dad," Freddie finished hesitantly.

Shay smiled warmly, "Any time son."

Shay Apartment  
>Thursday, February 16, 2012<p>

Across the hall at the same time as Freddie and General Shay's conversation, the brunette web-hostess was busy on the kitchen counter computer. She had a beaming smile as she browsed through the on-line store.

"What'cha doing kiddo?" Spencer asked as he approached his little sister from the other side of the counter.

Carly smiled to herself before answering, "Shopping for wedding dresses."

Spencer blinked for a moment. "Wedding dresses?"

Carly looked up from the computer monitor. "That's what a bride wears to her wedding."

Spencer closed his eyes and shook his head with an unhappy expression.

Carly sighed, "Spencer."

Spencer opened his eyes and let out a sigh. "Just because he told me not to interfere with you seeing Freddie, it doesn't mean I have to like the fact that you're getting married."

Carly frowned at him and her eyes showed a little of her irritation. "Is it going to be like this the entire time before I get married? Are you going to act like this _after_ I get married?"

Spencer sighed and shook his head. "I can't pretend to be happy that you're doing this now. I don't want there to be an 'after' married part. Please don't do this; you're too young."

Carly rolled her eyes and looked back at the computer monitor. She had already found a simple, cute little white dress that wasn't too expensive that she was seriously considering buying. As she checked to see if anyone locally could get her the dress, she asked, "How am I different than mom?"

Spencer rolled his eyes and let out a breath before replying, "I think mom knew what she was getting into and maybe she knew she didn't have the time to wait, but you're not facing that."

She made a face at him as if he was beginning serious. "We're both facing that possibility whether _you_ like to face it or not. What if I was sick? Would you object to me getting married?"

"No, of course not, I—"

She tilted her head to the side in disgust as she asked, "But because I'm healthy, you're objecting?"

In one of his overdramatic faces, he replied, "Yes I am, because there isn't a countdown clock ticking for your life. You have plenty of time to get married and shouldn't just rush into it."

"We're not rushing… we're taking our time in a hurry," she countered in a firm voice.

"That's not funny," Spencer replied with an undertone in his voice of real anger that she rarely heard from him.

She realized that may have been a little too close to home for him for some reason, but his feelings was not on the top of her priority list at the moment. "No, it's not funny that my brother can't support me and be happy for me!" she shouted as she finally let out her frustration towards him.

"Because I love you and don't want you to get hurt!" he shouted back just as frustrated. "You're not mom and Freddie isn't dad."

Her anger quickly deflated and realized that her eyes suddenly started burning. In a small voice, she asked, "You don't think me and Freddie can last?"

Spencer's anger left his as well as he saw the hurt on her face. He shook his head and let out a tired breath. "I don't want you to have an unrealistic view about it."

In a voice mixed with sadness and resentment, she replied, "It's not fair then if we can't make it."

"What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"After all we have been through to get here, it wouldn't be fair for us to fail," she stated as she blinked back tears threatening to fall.

"Fairness has nothing to do with it kiddo… or mom would still be here," he replied sadly. "Or maybe dad would have found some happiness after with Aunt Rub-" he shook his head refusing to finish verbalizing his thought. "Never mind."

"All the more reason to be happy now, because we don't know how tomorrow is going to turn out. Stand there and tell me I'm wrong. Don't tell me to do the normal and conventional thing either about marrying Freddie. You know you and I are not like everyone else. Our lives were started because mom and dad were unconventional: mom asking dad and them getting married, having you so soon, having me so late, a head in the clouds artist with a down to earth former bad boy. Two people who shouldn't have logically been together or have the lives they lived, but they did anyway and they were happy. You know that better than me because you saw and remember almost all of it. Why should we be any different?"

Spencer just looked at her with a defeated look on his face. He had no counter to that statement. He knew he wasn't conventional at all, especially when compared to his father. He knew he took more after their mother and Carly more after their father. Who was he to stand in the way if she decided to be more like their mother?

He finally found his voice maybe seconds, maybe minutes; he wasn't sure and replied, "You don't have to be."

"What?" she asked genuinely surprised at his response.

He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head slightly. "You're right, we're not normal. I know how I am and I know how wonderfully unique you are, so why should we have to be conventional like everyone else? I just don't want it to fail and leave you heart broken."

Carly nodded. "Thank you Spencer."

"Just give me some time to feel better about the idea okay? Watching my little sister plan her wedding is a little scary for me."

"Because you should be married first?" she asked with a smirk.

"Hey!" he shouted defensively. Then he thought about it for a moment. "Why do you have to be right?"

She just giggled allowing the tension of the last few minutes leave her and replaced with the joy of happy future. "Because my mom was a Dorfman, it runs in the family."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Shay Apartment  
>Thursday, February 16, 2012<p>

It was around 7:30 pm when Freddie was back in the iCarly studio typing away at his laptop double checking last minute graphics for tomorrow's show after his surprisingly pleasant talk with Mr. Shay. Freddie had a lot to think about after the conversation, but any anxieties he may have felt about getting married were wiped away. It gave him a new clarity for looking at his and now Carly's future. He knew that he was going to be marrying the girl he had loved most of his life, that they would be graduating from high school together and soon be off to college then the future was theirs to make of it.

They were going to go to college and he was going to be the best computer student that school had ever enrolled. He was going to make sure he learned all he could so he could provide for Carly in whatever pursuits she wanted and for their future children. He already had some inclining of an idea that in the years to come he hoped would make him and Carly very wealthy.

However, there was still the nagging feeling in the back of his head: he still needed to talk with his mother again and now tell her that Mr. Shay gave his permission. She had avoided him the best she could for the rest of last night and this morning and had a late shift tonight at the hospital, so he didn't know when he'd get a chance to speak with her. He'd make sure he talked to her before tomorrow's webcast and give Carly her ring after the show.

After a few minutes of musing over his thoughts, Freddie looked up from his laptop to see the elevator door rise. "Okay, we got the ring," Sam announced in relief as she and Brad exited the elevator unto the iCarly studio.

Freddie stepped away from his tech-cart and approached the pair eagerly. "Any problems?"

"Nope," Brad answered with a grin. "We fooled them perfectly. They thought we were just a nice happy couple eager to get married."

Sam eyed the sandy haired boy for a moment with a slight frown. "Yeah, he really 'sold the scene'."

Brad smirked for a moment before giving a slight laugh as he shook his head. Freddie raised an eyebrow and wasn't sure if he really wanted to know what 'sold the scene' had entailed, but it must not have been too bad. He knew that Sam would have done some very bad things to Brad if that was the case.

"So the ring?" Freddie asked with a hint of impatience.

Sam pulled out the black velvet box from her purse and handed it to eager Tech-Producer. He eagerly accepted the box and slowly opened it. "Oh my God," Freddie whispered as he saw it. The picture he saw online did not due the ring justice. "It's perfect."

"I thought so too," Sam answered and gave him a brief smile as she undid the pins to take the wig off her head. "I think she'll love it."

Freddie looked up and stated quietly with a small smile, "Thank you Sam."

Sam blinked in response. That had been one of the few times he had been genuinely pleasant to her without having his guard up. She cleared her throat and whispered back quietly, "Well… anything for Carls."

The smile left his face and was quickly replaced with a small frown and narrowing his look at her. Sam lowered her gaze realizing that she had slapped his hand away. Maybe out of unforeseen nervousness and guilt or maybe due to the wig starting to itch, she started trying to take the wig off. After a few unsuccessful attempts to take some hair pins out, Brad reached over and offered, "Let me help." He softly brushed one of her hands out of the way and took hold of the wig and pulled a hair pin out.

Sam growled for a moment from the contact. Brad raised an eyebrow at her reaction. She blinked and looked down to allow him to help. A brief look of weariness past across Brad's face before turning back his attention of helping her take the wig off.

Freddie just looked at the pair in silence as he debated whether or not he should actually care. His internal debate was interrupted when the door to the studio opened and Carly entered the room. Freddie quickly closed the box and held it behind his back in one swift motion.

"Hey, I thought I heard the elevator—" Carly looked at them with raised eyebrows and confused eyes after looking at Sam wearing atypical clothing and holding a brunette wig. "What's going on?"

Freddie answered hesitantly and with a nervous laugh, "We had a few free moments and are just trying things out for a Grad Finale."

Carly's eyes immediately brightened. "So you have an idea?" Carly asked cheerfully.

Freddie gave her a frown. He knew that she had been struggling for an idea and now hated that he may have been getting her hopes up just to cover the fact that he had a ring for her. "Sorry, nothing solid yet. We're still brainstorm and just trying out anything that comes to mind."

Carly frowned and her shoulders dropped. The look on her face was gut wrenching for him. He walked passed Sam and slipped the box into her hand without Carly noticing as he approached the brunette. He smiled warmly to his now fiancé and took her hands into his hands and whispered, "Hey, we have time and we'll figure something out. We're not giving up."

Sam spoke up after slipping the black velvet box back into her purse, "Right kiddo, how do you think they got me up in this get up?"

Carly laughed. "Okay… wait? Is that one of my skirts?"

Sam's eyes looked away and she pursed her lips as her jaw tightened shut.

"Sam!"

Ridgeway High School  
>Friday, February 17, 2012<p>

Carly and Freddie found an out of the way spot in the cafeteria to eat lunch. Surprisingly, Sam was accommodating as she was eating lunch with Brad. Carly raised an eyebrow at Freddie about that, but he remained tight lipped. Carly tried to get him to tell her what was going on, but he really didn't have anything to tell her other than pretending to be a couple in order to buy the ring without suspicion and something about 'selling the scene'. Carly grinned at that statement and looked to the pair eating lunch together. Freddie was just confused and didn't really want to concern himself with Sam's affairs.

After Carly watched the pair for a few more moments, she turned back to Freddie and asked, "I didn't get a chance last night to ask, but how did your talk with my dad go?"

Freddie let out a relieved breath that she had turned to a more relatively safe topic. "Very well, we had a nice talk."

Carly took a sip from her milk then asked causally trying to cover her eager curiosity, "What about?"

"A number at things, like about the wedding itself. You still want a small wedding, right?"

She nodded with a small smile.

Freddie grinned back, "Okay, I'll start looking for chapels tomorrow; something small and private for us."

"Good, because I ah… I've been looking at wedding dresses."

"You have?" he asked with a smirk.

Carly bit her bottom lip lightly before replying, "Yes, it's—"

"Wedding dress?" someone asked near them without being noticed.

They both turned to see Wendy with a smile on her face.

Carly quickly cleared her thought and spoke the first thing that popped into her head, "Yes… we're thinking about marrying off the Idiot Farm Girl to Fredward Cullen."

Wendy raised an eyebrow and gave a small knowing smile as she asked, "Really?"

Freddie continued not missing a beat, "Of course, we can't string their relationship out forever."

Wendy laughed then replied, "That would be an amazing skit."

Carly nodded overly enthusiastically hoping to cover the fact she was lying. "Yes it would be. We're still figuring out how we could do it and what we would need then we have to rehearse it to see if it works. So could you keep it quiet for us in the meantime?"

"Not a problem Carly. I know I'll be looking forward to that wedding," she laughed before going on her way to another lunch table.

Once the redhead was out of earshot, Carly let out a relieved breath and whispered, "That was too close."

Freddie on the other hand smiled, "Yeah, but now we have cover if anything else slips out."

The brunette furled her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Freddie gave her a mischievous smile. "We can just say we're planning the skit of them getting married."

Carly grinned as she realized that he was correct. "You know we're actually going to have to film the skit at some point?"

Freddie leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Saying 'I do' twice wouldn't be a burden to me."

Carly giggled and patted his chest as she whispered back, "I wouldn't be one for me either."

He joined her laughter for a few moments before asking, "You were saying about the dress?"

"It's simple and I think it's pretty, but a little non-traditional."

"Carls, everything about this whole thing is non-traditional. If you like it then that is all that matters. I can't wait to see it."

She gave him a small, thankful smile before replying, "Thank you."

He kissed her temple. "You're welcome."

They slid apart a little as that resumed their lunch. After taking a bite of her sandwich and swallowing the morsel of food, she asked, "What else did you talk about?"

"We talked a little about college, how we're definitely not going to separate colleges—"

"Of course not, I'm not letting you go for four years," she interrupted with a smile and a shake of her head.

Freddie snorted out a laugh. "I told him that we were both thinking about going to University of Washington then he mentioned that some of the campuses had an Air Force ROTC…"

Her smile quickly left her face and a look a horror appeared on Carly's face. "You're not joining."

Freddie grinned and replied, "He wasn't talking about me. He said that he could see you as a fighter pilot, but I told him that I didn't want to be a military husband."

She blinked and her mouth hung slightly open as she asked, "Freddie?"

"I'm serious, you can ask him. He thought you could fly an F-Twenty Two and follow after him and your granddad," he replied and started laughing.

She gave him a slight shove to his shoulder. "You're just messing with me now."

He leaned forward and whispered, "I am not future Mrs. Benson."

"Or you'll be future Mister Shay."

Freddie laughed out loud enough for several students to look in their direction. However, neither cared as Freddie caught his breath. "Whichever you want… we could split the difference and we can both take a hyphenated name?"

Carly grinned in response. "We'll figure it out, but I guess I'm going to disappoint dad."

"But shouldn't an angel have her wings?"

Carly shook her head and laughed softly. She looked back at him with a smile playing on her lips. "You're already marrying me; you don't have to flatter me."

"I don't have to, you asked me remember?"

The brunette started laughing and between the laughs replied, "Yes I did. Aren't you lucky?"

Freddie nodded in agreement. "I'm the luckiest man in the world… your father and I did talk about something else."

The teenager's laughter calmed down at hearing the statement. "Oh, what?"

He answered hesitantly, "Where we're going to live after you and I get married."

She blinked at him. "I… I haven't thought about that. I don't want us to live apart until college."

Freddie shrugged a shoulder and gave her a small smile. "I hadn't thought about it either, but he had a suggestion on how we could live together."

The brunette raised an eyebrow and asked with a hint of fear in her voice, "He did?"

"He suggested that I move into the apartment with you and Spencer. Mind if we turn your bedroom to _our_ bedroom?"

Carly let out a breath as she smiled and to Freddie, it looked as if her eyes lit up. She reached up and cupped his cheek and whispered, "I would love that."

"You wouldn't find that strange? I mean it's your room, but then it would be—"

"Our room… we're going to share our lives, so of course we're going to share a room and other things…" she finished with an uncomfortable tone. Some things were still awkward for her to talk about, but he was going to be her husband soon enough, so she knew she had to get over some of those anxieties.

"I know that, but that has always been your room. Are you going to mind all my geeky stuff next to and sharing space with all your things?"

"Cukey stuff," she gently corrected.

"We're finally back to cukey?"

She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "Yes we are and I can't wait for us to redecorate _our_ room."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Late-June 1980

Steven was riding down the road on his motorcycle just enjoying the ride at the end of the day, because it had been a long day of running errands back and forth for the old flyer and double checking some minor calculations. He knew the retired Colonel was humoring him with the exercises, because there were junior staff and interns whose jobs it were to make sure the simple stuff checked out, but it had been a while since Steven had really threw himself into something so 'nerdy'. He quickly realized he had missed it. There was order and structure in the numbers and the scientific principals that he missed and was once part of his long discarded view of how he saw the universe. It also helped his ego that he still had the talent for the numbers.

As Steven was approaching his destination, he thought about the subtle hints the former Air Force flyer had been dropping to him over the last month or so: that maybe he should cultivate his talent with the numbers and go to college for an engineering degree. It was just another idea he added to his list over the last two months of things that actually made sense, if a little out there for the time being, but made sense to the slacker teenager.

Steven pulled up on his motorcycle to an abandoned grassy lot in an out of the way part of town. The long haired teenager found a nice spot around several other various gathered vehicles. This was where his 'clique' hung out during the weekend so they could socialize, brawl if they wanted to and get hammered without anyone hanging over their shoulders.

He hopped off his bike after turning off the ignition and approached the mingling of people. Even with this rough crowd, no one really worried too much about something happening to their rides. One of the few rules they lived by: never mess with another's ride. After a few exchanges of greetings with a few passer bys, he caught sight of the person that he wanted to see: the raven haired girl was sitting on the hood of a black Charger looking out over the crowd sipping on a glass bottle of something.

She caught sight of him a moment later and waved him over with her free hand. He smirked and shook his head as he approached the girl. Ruby patted the hood beside her for him to have a seat. The long haired teenager hopped on to take a seat beside the raven haired girl.

Bringing the bottle off her lips after a quick swig, Ruby smirked as she asked, "So where's Taylor?"

"Hello to you too," he answered with some lighthearted sarcasm.

"Hi handsome," she replied with a quick flash of a smile.

Steven shook his head before replying, "Taylor is at her house painting. Something inspired her and she's keeping it all secret from me. She doesn't want anyone to know what it's going to be; besides we do have lives outside of each other."

"Or you didn't want to expose her to the vile underbelly of our school?"

He looked out to the gathering and noticed two guys in a friendly brawl that he'd been in a few times with some others so a little discoloration after his fight with Evan hadn't been that concerning for him. "She's dating me, not all this mess," he replied as he waved at the crowd.

"Ashamed of us?"

"It's not shame, just an honest assessment of the people we hang with, but ashamed of you? Never," Steven smiled warmly at her.

Ruby allowed a small smile form on her face. "Being sweet Stevie?"

Steven chuckled, "Truth, sweet? I think you're making a distinction without a difference."

Ruby looked away and shook her head with a smile. "Charmer," she whispered under her breath.

"Temptress," he whispered back and nudged her in the shoulder with his shoulder.

She turned her head and looked him in the eyes with a detached look and he mirrored the look. They held that stare for a few moments before they both broke out laughing. She covered her mouth with a free hand and Steven just slapped one of his knees.

After calming down a little bit, Steven looked back over the lot of his fellow students and kept a big grin on his face. He was happy that some things were still staying the same. He caught sight of Glenn chatting with some redhead he didn't recognize near a cooler. Both were sipping a bottled beverage and to Steven's eyes were standing pretty close so that they apparently didn't want anyone to be hearing their conversation.

Steven spoke up without realizing it, "Glenn's been kind of out a touch lately. What's going on with him?"

He could feel her eyes on him instead of watching her boyfriend as she spoke, "He's working later at night than I'd like at the garage, but he needs to make the money."

The long haired teenager turned his head to look at her and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Missing him because you need your attention?"

The raven haired teenager raised a corner of her mouth and narrowed her gaze at the long haired teenager. She licked her lips before answering, "Oh you better believe it. I have my needs."

Steven tilted his head to the side and gave her a slight frown. He was about to speak when she spoke up and asked, "I think I can count on one hand how many times I've seen you this month. Has she been keeping you busy or have you been working?"

Against his better judgment, he let go of what he was going to say and replied, "Her father gave me a job helping him work out of his home for the summer. I'm making some good money playing errand boy and helping out with some other things for him."

"Working what out?"

In a casual voice, Steven replied, "Little bit of math, little bit of science; he's giving me a crash course in engineering."

"Oh?" she asked with a knowing grin. "Is my little brainy coming back?"

Steven laughed back, "I don't know about that, but it turns out I still have my skills with the numbers… and it feels good."

Ruby ran her fingers through his hair and ruffled it. "Glad to hear it."

He swatted her hand away playfully, "Stop that."

"You use to pull my pigtails, so stop complaining," she laughed.

"I always gave you a cookie though," he answered with a smile as he brushed his hair out with his fingers to look half way decent.

After a few minutes of sitting together just watching the happenings of some of the other and occasionally speaking to anyone that walked by, Steven asked, "I guess you've missed me?"

She bumped her shoulder with his shoulder and replied with a wicked grin, "Of course. Sometimes you're the only voice of sanity around here."

He raised an eyebrow before asking, "Is that it?"

"No, I do miss you for you," she pouted only for a moment before laughing.

Steven snorted out a laugh. "Well why don't you just call or just hang out with us? She doesn't bite."

The teenage girl shook her head. "She's a sweet girl and all, but I don't think she and I have anything in common and I don't want to be a third wheel."

"Maybe you don't have anything in common, but isn't that where the fun is in finding out? Besides, we don't pick each other friends. I didn't realize being with her meant I would lose all of you and I don't think that's true."

Ruby cupped the bottle with both her hands between her knees and looked at her long time friend with a surprisingly collective and serious look. "Maybe you need to lose us?"

"What?"

Ruby wouldn't meet his gaze and started peeling at the label to her bottle. "You said we have a choice in being outcasts… how about you chose not to be one anymore."

"Ruby?" he whispered even more confused by the turn of the conversation.

She looked up and met his eyes. The look she gave him of what he would describe as serious and regretful chilled him for a moment even on the warm June day. "You have a chance to be better than all this," she said gesturing a hand to their surroundings.

He glared back at her and whispered coldly, "That wide-eye, naïve, stupid Steven is long gone and he's not coming back."

She lowered her eyes a fraction and replied softly, "Maybe not, a truly happy one can come back and you're not going to do that straddling two worlds. You have to embrace what you have and leave this all behind. You've been happier than I've ever seen you, you cared about getting good grades on your exams and you just told me that you've missed your science stuff and are still good at it. Take your chance and run with it."

He swallowed down the various feelings and whispered, "Does that include leaving you behind?"

"If you need to," she whispered just as softly.

He leaned forward so their faces were just inches apart and someone could have easily mistaken them as about to kiss. He whispered harshly, "If I need to? Well fuck that Ruby. It doesn't work that way. Do you know what the one thing I still cared about and had any real meaning to me after mom die?"

She was about to guess at an answer when he answered for her, "You… the one person that stuck by me when things went to Hell and let me know some things did matter. If you don't want to be my friend anymore then you grow yourself a pair of ovaries and tell me that, but don't pull this martyrdom bullshit for the sake of me being a better person or have a better life."

Ruby looked down for a moment then turned her head away to look that the grassy lot under the bumper of the Charger. "Why do you have to be so damn difficult at times?"

Steven took a calming breath before replying, "I get my stubbornness from my father and… my convictions were all I had left other than you for a time. When you've lost nearly everything, you hold on tighter to what you have left."

"I was doing my best to try and keep your head above water, but now that you found Taylor… I don't want all this to drag you down."

"Martyrdom bullshit…" he whispered in disgust.

"Don't act like you wouldn't do the same for me," she snapped back.

Steven took a breath and thought for a moment. He rolled his eyes as he whispered out, "In a heartbeat."

Ruby smirked in triumph.

Steven narrowed his look at her and gave a small frown. "Don't give me that look. Just because I would do the same doesn't make it any less stupid, but you're not getting rid of me that easily."

"If you go to college, that will be real easy—"

His frown turned into a predator grin. "If I go to college, you're coming with me and Taylor."

Ruby laughed joyfully, "I'd like to see that day. On second thought, you probably need both of us to keep you out of trouble."

He nudged her in the side with his elbow. "We'll see."

Ruby calmed down from her laugh and smacked at his poking elbow. "I guess we will." She then took another sip from her drink and looked over their friends and acquaintances with a smile on her face.

Steven joined her in just observing people, however, he took a hard look at Glenn standing and talking to the redhead. He kept a particular watch for Glenn's free hand that seemed particularly close to the girl's outer thigh.

Shay Apartment  
>Friday, February 17, 2012<p>

Freddie was grinning from ear to ear as the webcast was ending with Carly and Sam arguing what had the greatest impact on the world: the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics or the color peach. Each girl was quite animated for their position as he was closing out the webcast.

"And we are clear!" he shouted out happily. "Great show," Freddie laughed out as he sat his camera down on his tech cart.

It took a few moments for each of the teenage girls to catch their breaths as the argument had become more energetic than either expected. Carly was the first to reply, "Thanks, that was fun."

Sam answered back, "Yeah, but I didn't know you could be so nerdy."

Carly shrugged a shoulder and laughed, "I get it from my dad."

Sam snorted out a laugh.

Freddie looked to the brunette and smiled. "I have something that I need to give you."

"What? You got me a surprise?" Carly asked with an obvious curious expression on her face.

Freddie glanced to Sam and the blonde realized what was about to happen. She nodded and smiled softly towards him. Freddie pulled out a black velvet box hid under some papers on the second shelf on his tech-cart. He walked over to Carly and knelt down on one knee. He carefully opened the box and spoke, "Carly Shay, I would be honored to be your husband."

Carly covered her mouth with both of her hands in shock as she barely glanced at the ring, but looked to Freddie's smiling face.

She bent down and hugged him around the neck. "I love you," she whispered into his ear.

He wrapped his arms around her and stood up then picked her up off of her feet and started slowly spinning the pair around. He whispered softly into her ear his affections for her.

At this pointed, Brad quietly slipped into the studio to stand beside Sam as she watched the pair share their moment.

Freddie sat her down back on her feet and she pulled apart from him just enough to rest her forehead on his forehead. She closed her eyes and asked softly, "This is all real isn't it? It's really real now?"

"Yes it is; we're really getting married," he replied then lifted off of her forehead to kiss it.

She pulled away and their eyes met and exchanged small smiles.

He pulled an arm from around her waist and held up the ring box again. This time the brunette took a good look at the white gold band with the small diamond in the center. She smiled and bit her lower lip for a moment, before pulling him into a long kiss. After finally pulling apart, she softly laughed as he pulled the ring out and took hold of her left hand. He gently slid the ring on her finger.

Looking down at her hand and just stared at the object that now gave the first tangible proof of what they were doing was real, she whispered, "It's beautiful Freddie."

He whispered softly to her, "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it, but you didn't—"

He silenced her with a quick kiss then replied, "Yes I did. You need an engagement ring, because you're not my girlfriend, you're my fiancé."

The brunette smiled again and replied, "I don't know what to say other than it's perfect."

"I can't take all the credit." Freddie motioned his head towards the pair and replied, "I had a little help getting it and making sure it was perfect."

Carly looked to the blonde pair and mouthed, "Thank you."

Sam cleared her throat and replied, "No problem kiddo."

Carly turned back to Freddie and palmed one of his cheeks as she kissed him.

Sam sniffled and the taller teenager noticed. Brad leaned over and whispered to the blonde, "Are you crying?"

Sam wiped away a tear and replied softly, "No… Freddie just makes me emotional sometimes."

Brad smiled and shook his head, "I think that's our cue to leave."

"I think you're right."

* * *

><p>"That was fun," Brad commented as the pair exited off the elevator on the first floor of the apartment.<p>

"Yes it was," Sam nodded her head with a smile. "Did you see the look on her face? I've never seen her that happy."

"I can't imagine what it must be like for them. Everyone else is getting over Valentine's Day or thinking about who's dating who or thinking about prom in the next few months, but they're planning a wedding and spending the rest of their lives together. It seems like it's out of a TV show."

Sam started laughing. "We just might be a TV show in another universe."

Brad joined her for a moment in laughing as he remembered the rehearsal of her and Carly's closing argument for the show. He then asked, "What do plan to do now since they are going to be busy for most of the night?"

Sam shrugged a shoulder. She knew that tonight wasn't going to be a hang after the show night and had planned accordingly. "Going to grab something at the Groovy Smoothie then come back here and veg out with TV for the rest of the night."

Brad scratched the back of his head. "You could do that by yourself or we could go grab something to eat together?"

Sam grinned. "You finally have the nerve to ask mama out?"

He dropped his hand from behind his head and smiled warmly towards her. "I don't know about asking you out, but I told you I would surprise you at some point; why not let me do it tonight?"

The blonde trouble maker's grin turned into a smirk as she replied, "You know I eat a lot and I expect the guy to pay for it."

"I know," Brad replied with a grin.

**Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed this installment. Those were fun to write and I hope you got some insight on some characters. See you Friday with the next installment.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hello readers. I have a big update for you today. I hope you enjoy it. Has a little bit about the present and some of the past that will help you understand how the present is shaped. Thanks to all that read and review. As the ones that review, I try to respond to all of you. Feel free to question and comment, I'll answer. Happy Reading.**

Chapter 13

Saturday, Early July, 1980

Steven knew he had to get Taylor out of her little world and into the rest of it. She had spent more time in her loft than usual working on her mysterious panting. He knew she wasn't working on it exclusively, but it was taking up a considerable amount of her time and effort and he was afraid she would burn out. It also caused him to worry due to the fact that she had told him one time, as he looked at a particular one of her pieces and told her that something was off with it, that art didn't have to be perfect, but this painting for some reason had to be perfect.

For those reasons, he had used his considerable charm to convince her to come with him on a beautiful, sunny Saturday to the beach. A part of him had wished she had left her sketchpad at home, but he knew that would have been a losing argument if he brought it up, so he was going to enjoy the day with her as much as possible regardless if she decided she needed to sketch something.

The pair was sitting together on a large beach towel about two dozen feet from the lapping waves and under a large beach umbrella. He had on a white undershirt and dark blue swimming trunks. Taylor wore a one-piece red swimsuit, a silky white bandana with a flower pattern and a long swim wrap with the same pattern as her bandana around her waist. Steven thought it was a cute outfit and showed the quiet somewhat homely artist's beauty to the world. Also, he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but a few somewhat ungentlemanly thoughts crossed his mind on how well her outfit showed off her _all_ of her curves.

The long haired teenager wasn't the only one that had the idea of enjoying the weather at the beach as there were dozens of teenagers from the surround area scattered across about two miles of beach. He recognized several from his group of friends and acquaintances. Ruby and Glenn were sitting on a beach towel trading some deep kisses. His brow furled in concern as he watched as Ruby had to discreetly grab Glenn's right hand and gently move it away from the creeping direction of her inner thigh and up further her leg.

After a few moments, Ruby caught sight of the relaxing pair and decided to cut short her make-out session with Glenn. She detangled herself for his embrace and stood up to approach them. Ruby walked over with an extra swing in her hips and a wicked smile on her face. She had sunglasses covering her eyes and she was wearing a two piece black bikini and a short black bikini warp around her hips.

Steven shook his head as he thought, _even in bathing suits she chooses black. I'm not surprise at all_. When she was reached them, she took a seat in front of them on the towel to get under the shade of the umbrella. He laughed as he asked, "Well don't you look gorgeous? I know where all the guys are going to keep their eyes on today. So are you finally going to get yourself a tan?"

Ruby laughed, "You're mostly right about the first part Stevie, but you know I don't tan, I burn."

"Always the first time for everything," he replied back with a grin.

Taylor joined in the conversation, "You really do look pretty Ruby."

She looked to the smiling brunette. The brunette had spoken her mind without any ulterior motive and Ruby found that quite refreshing. "Thank you sweetie, you look really cute yourself. I know where Steven's going to keep _his eyes_ on all day."

Taylor looked down and blushed. Steven then kissed the brunette then whispered in her ear, "She's absolutely right." That just caused the blush to deepen on the brunette as Steven kissed her just above her right ear.

With a hint of playfulness in her voice, Ruby asked, "So, you two lovebirds are out here to enjoy the surf and sand?"

Taylor replied first with a big smile, "Steven thought I needed to get out of the house and enjoy the weather, so we're on a beach date."

Ruby looked to Steven and smirked. "Isn't that sweet of him?"

Steven rolled his eyes and shook his head. Taylor turned and poked him in the side. "Yes it is." She looked back to the waves licking at the sand. "I want to build a sand castle," she announced happily.

"Okay," Steven replied as if nothing was unusual with her statement.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and quickly got up and walked closer to the waves. She plopped herself down and immediately dug into the wet sand. She didn't have a shovel or bucket, but she had her hands and fingers.

Ruby turned around and scooted up to sit beside Steven. She watched the smaller teenager for a moment before asking him, "She's building a sandcastle and she's seventeen. Doesn't that concern you?"

"No, as long as no one is stupid enough to bother her, but sand, clay, not much difference to her. You should just watch her for a minute. It's quite peaceful. I watched her turn a lump of clay into a swan in about half an hour."

"I don't doubt her talents. I've seen some of her art at school before school ended, but it's a sandcastle. You know that's what little kids do when they are at the beach."

Steven shrugged a shoulder. "It's her way of expressing herself, because to her, words aren't enough to convey her thoughts, feelings or aspirations."

Ruby blinked at him before replying, "That's… pretty deep."

"You'd learn a lot from watching her. It might put your mind at ease and give you a new perspective on… things," he replied and purposely let his last word hang in the air.

Her eyes narrowed on him and she clenched her jaw tight. "You knew most of us would be here today," she stated instead of asked, because Steven knew he couldn't fool her even with his relaxed cool guy persona.

"I was hoping that my educated guess was correct," he smirked at her.

"So instead of letting go, you bring her here?"

Steven replied nonchalantly, "I needed to get her out of the house and spend more time with my friend; two birds one stone. I think all three of us win."

"Did you tell her the second part?"

"No," he replied casually with a shake of his head.

"Keeping secrets from your girlfriend isn't wise."

"If I would have told her the complete story, she would have just told me to hang out with you today and she would have stayed in her loft all day. She would have thought about your wellbeing first when the point was hers was my priority."

"She would have thought about me first?"

"You are my friend and she has a fondness for you. You're nice to her and don't look at her as if something is wrong with her. That means a lot to her."

Ruby's expression softened and looked over to the bandana wearing teenager happily enjoying building her sandcastle. In a soft voice, she replied, "I didn't realize that."

"That's what I meant about words aren't enough to express what she means at times."

"Well… I did tell her that if she needed anything all she had to do was ask me… I didn't realize it went both ways with her."

"She took your word for it. Did you mean it?"

"Yes," she whispered as saw Taylor laughing as her sandcastle was coming together.

"Good, I would hate to know that you lied to her."

Ruby snorted out a breath. "You're the one not being honest with her."

Steven shook his head. "I gave you an explanation, not a justification. I'm not saying it's right."

"So if I called her over here and told her the truth, you wouldn't defend it?"

"No," he grinned back accepting her challenge.

Ruby grinned, "Okay, let's see." She looked over to where Taylor was building her sandcastle and shouted, "Hey Taylor, could you come here for a second?"

The brunette looked up from her sculpture and grinned towards the raven haired girl. "Okay," she replied happily and waved. She stud up and brushed some sand off of her legs as she walked back to the pair. She took a seat in front of them and laughed. "I'm already having a good time."

"I'm glad," Steven answered with a smile.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Do you know why you came out to the beach today?"

Taylor brushed some of her brunette hair behind her ear and replied, "Steven wanted to take me out on a date… and to check on you. I wanted to see how you were doing too."

Ruby's face fell and from the corner of her eye she saw that Steven looked just as surprised.

Taylor grinned mischievously at the pair. "You're his friend and he cares about you. After he came back last Friday, he looked more concern than before he went to see you. I figured that he thought something was wrong concerning you. Then he's wanted us to go out for the past week, because he thinks I've been spending too much time in my loft and I figured that if I kept putting it off, he'd finally suggest someplace where there was a chance to see you. I guess I just let the cat out of the bag." She then started laughing.

She then stood up and offered her hand to the taller teenager. "Come on Ruby, help me build my sandcastle? I need some advice and you'd said I could ask you."

The paler teenager blinked for a moment before taking the girl's hand. She looked to Steven for a moment and whispered, "Your girlfriend just played you."

Steven chuckled. "Played us both, I did get a smart one didn't I?"

Ruby didn't get to respond as Taylor pulled the taller girl to her feet and they walked back down to the half completed sandcastle.

Steven started laughing harder. Ruby threw a quick glare at the long haired teenager which only incited him to laugh harder.

The pair stopped at the sandcastle and Ruby was quite impressed with what the artist had constructed without any tools. The girl really did have talent. The artist quietly pointed to an incomplete part of the castle. Ruby just started idly started putting wet sand in place and just sculpturing into whatever shape came to mind. She looked up to see Taylor's smile as the shorter teenager was thoroughly enjoying what she was doing. However, Ruby looked over the girl's shoulder and frowned somewhat as she saw Glenn chatting with the same redhead that she saw last week, but this time seemed to her to be overly friendly with her boyfriend. The skimpiness of her bikini didn't help the situation either. She herself may have been wearing a two piece, but she didn't look trashy or skanky as the redhead appeared to Ruby's eyes.

The next moment she heard Steven call over Glenn and watched as the curly haired boy left his chat with the redhead. The look of annoyance across his face was not lost on the raven haired teenager.

"So what's the matter?" Taylor asked casually.

Ruby turned and looked sharply to the brunette. "For someone not much for words, you sure are direct."

Taylor smiled as she replied, "Have to be… because I'm not much for words."

Ruby snorted out a laugh. She realized the timid little artist could spar when it came to it. "Okay, since we're having a little 'girl talk'… I've just been feeling a little neglected that all. Glenn's had to work late at night and I've been busy during the day, so we aren't seeing a lot of each other."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure that he misses you too. Maybe you should tell him. You two can work it out to spend more time together; maybe between the time you get off and he has to go to work. You can have night breakfast together; it's really delicious. And if you want to, you can always come to my place. We have plenty of room and I know I would enjoy the company. I love my daddy and Barry, but sometimes it's lonely being the only girl in the house. Just don't tell anyone that last part."

Ruby smiled and shook her head. "I won't sweetie. Thanks for the advice and the offer. I'll talk to him."

Glenn approached his friend and took a seat on the towel. "Hey man," he greeted the long hair teenager. "Haven't seen you around much lately other than last week I mean."

Steven gave a brief smile. "Been busy working and spending time with Taylor. You know how it is balancing work and a girlfriend. I heard you've had to work late at night?"

Glenn cleared his throat. "Yeah… been having to work late. The garage has been staying open later for summer servicing cars. A lot of people have been over heating over the summer."

Steven nodded as he watched his girlfriend and best friend continue to work on the sandcastle. "I hear you… if you need some time with Ruby, just call me up and I'll spot you a shift for free. I know old Dan won't mind."

Glenn nodded hesitantly. "Thanks… I'll keep that in mind."

Steven turned his head and looked to his curly haired in a cold stare. "When you're out late… it _is_ because you're working."

Glenn looked to him with a raised eyebrow and frown. "Why do you say that?"

Steven shook his head with a slight frown and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just making conversation buddy."

Glenn looked away and towards Ruby and found the need to clear his throat again.

Shay Apartment  
>Friday, February 17, 2012<p>

It had been about an hour after the webcast when Carly and Freddie were relaxing on her bed with her in Freddie's arms. Her laptop was sitting on her left side with Freddie on her right. She wasn't paying much attention to the computer after they picked out a nice small little chapel they could get married next Friday. She had focused her attention at her hand and fiddled with the engagement ring. "I can't wear the ring," she whispered sadly. "We can't keep getting married a secret if I wear it."

Freddie smiled warmly as he slipped his hand into one of his jean pockets. After a moment he pulled out a small little black velvet drawstring jewelry bag. She looked at him curiously as he pulled something out of the baggie. "Maybe not on your finger, but…" he pulled out a white gold rope necklace, "what about around your neck? Just hide it under a shirt and if anyone sees it, just say it was your mom's and you just found it."

She lifted her chin and kissed his cheek. "That's perfect."

The brunette took off her ring and took the necklace out of his hand to loop it through the ring. She then handed the necklace back to him. She sat up and pulled her hair up and away from her shoulder just as she did months ago when he bought her the purple butterfly pendant. What was different this time was that once he fastened the necklace, he kissed the back of her neck. She smiled as his lips tickled her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. She turned her head and captured his lips with a brief kiss.

She laid her head back on his shoulder and smiled at how wonderful she felt.

Freddie let out a breath and asked nervously, "How did it go at the doctor's today?"

Carly cleared her throat and nodded before answering, "It went fine. I have a prescription and I started today… we'll just have to see if I have any side effects in the next few days, so if I get a little moody… but on the safe side—" she had to clear her throat as her nervousness threatened to take over.

He kissed the side of her forehead and that seemed to calm her enough for her to continue, "I have a bag for you because she said it would take time for them to be full effective and the wedding is next week and…" She took another breath, "If I have to switch to another type like my mom did then it will be even longer—"

"I understand," he replied with a smile. "We'll be safe and we'll take our time if we need to; being your husband is enough for me. Everything is going to be fine. We will be mommy and daddy later."

She nodded and chuckled. "Okay." She then looked up at her gummy bear chandelier and started counting off with her fingers, "So we have to just go to the courthouse for our marriage license on Monday; dad has already sent a copy of his permission form and he said there wasn't any problems. Sam is inviting people over for the party starting on Tuesday for after the wedding, Sam and I plan to get the dress on Wednesday, dad said he'd make sure that Granddad and the Dorfmans know on Thursday, so everything is good for Friday afternoon."

"Except no iCarly," he pointed out with a laugh.

She covered her mouth with a hand. "I forgot. What are we going to do?"

With a half smile, Freddie suggested, "We can have Sam and Spencer tell them the truth and say we are busy with a wedding reception and we'll give them any details we want to them next Friday."

She nodded her head. "That sounds good, but the fans will go nuts, especially the Creddies will go nuts, but they'll be happy for us."

Freddie nodded. "Yes they will."

After a few minutes of resting comfortably with one another, Carly spoke up, "Spencer's warming up to the idea of us getting married."

Freddie let out a relieved breath. "I'm glad to hear. I really didn't want to fight with him."

"He's just afraid about his little sister getting married," she replied feeling the need to defend her brother even if she didn't agree with him.

"I would too if I had a little sister. I don't blame him for begin concerned," he replied with a shrug of a shoulder.

"But it's you we're talking about," she nearly pouted at him.

"I know, but it's the concept he's afraid of, not the person. I really haven't got a chance to really talk to him about us getting married. I hope he warms up to the idea enough for him to be my best man."

Carly raised an eyebrow as she asked, "You want him to be your best man?"

"Gibby might be a friend, but it's Spencer that's always been my buddy, so I hope he says yes."

Carly turned her head to look up from his shoulder and nodded. "I think he'll be your best man. I can always put on the spoon hat and say please."

Freddie raised an eyebrow not sure of the reference.

She grinned and explained, "Trust me, it will work."

"Always," he replied then gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

She smiled briefly and rested her head back on his shoulder and started fiddling with her engagement ring at the end of the chain. "So, if everything goes well, we'll be married by this time next week," she smiled as she spoke. "This is really happening?"

Freddie laughed. "I'm having trouble believing this isn't all a dream. I'm expecting to wake up any moment after Webicon or maybe the next morning after the school lock-in."

Carly snuggled under his chin and whispered, "Maybe life is but a dream…"

"Pardon?"

She wrapped her arm around his abdomen to hold him tight as she began, "I had a dream that I really didn't want to wake up from just before I realized that I am in love with you."

Freddie wrapped his arm around her tighter as the memory flashed to the forefront of his mind. "The one you were crying? I thought you were having a nightmare, that's why I woke you up."

She nodded against his shoulder and chest. "I had a dream of my mom when she was my age. We were in her high school she told me, because I didn't know where I was at the time. She was real as you are right now. I could feel her warmth and feel and hear her heartbeat. I could smell the shampoo of her hair. We talked and she told me she was in love with a boy named Steven then I somehow showed her a picture of you and… she made me realized that I love you. It was really her Freddie, somehow from nineteen eighty she said. She told me she loved me and she figured out that I was her daughter. She told me I had my grandmother's eyes. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true."

He as he held her, he could feel the tension building in her shoulders and waist as if she was afraid that he thought she was crazy. He whispered quietly into her ear. "I believe you Carls. I believe you. I just wished I known or I would have let you sleep as long as you could."

"It's okay, I know you would…" she trailed off and glance over to see her mother's picture on the nightstand. "I just wish she could be here to see us get married."

He kissed the top of her head. "I wish she was too. I would have like to have known her… maybe if you dreamed about her once, maybe you can see her again and show her the wedding through your memory like she did her high school. I know it is a little out there, but—"

She lifted her head up and kissed him deeply on the lips cutting him off. She pulled back and rested her forehead on his forehead and closed her eyes. "Thank you… for believing me, even if I sound crazy."

"Anytime," he whispered back with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Groovy Smoothie  
>Friday, February 17, 2012<p>

The blonde pair entered the popular hang out with smiles on their faces. Sam had to admit that Brad could be kind of funny. It certainly helped her to get over his little bit of a nerd persona; he didn't rub her the wrong way like the nub use to rub her.

Brad opted for them to take one of the tall tables with the stools beside the windows. Sam didn't comment on the fact that it was a just a little more private than taking a table in the center of the place.

After Sam got comfortable on the stool, she spoke, "Remember: I eat a lot and I expect you to pay for mama."

Brad chuckled and nodded his head. "I understand."

One of the servers approached and quickly took their order and without too much surprise, Sam did order a healthy amount of food. Brad grinned and shook his head. "So, how does it feel seeing…" he looked around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation, "them going to… you know."

Sam wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. "Doesn't really matter to me."

Brad tilted his head to the side. "Your best friend is getting married to your… other friend that has to mean something to you."

She snorted out, "Maybe it does and I don't want to talk about it with you."

He lifted a hand up. "Sorry, didn't realize it was so sensitive to you."

"What do you mean by that?"

Brad let out a small laugh as he replied, "When you don't want to talk about such a huge thing going on with your friends, it means it's a sensitive thing."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "What do I care if she marries the nub?"

"Because it isn't just them being a couple or them moving in together, they are… you know. That's a big deal and you're—"

She growled out, "And what? I'm the outsider now?"

Brad looked down at the table and let out a breath. "We're all outsiders when we see two people together. That's just the way it is, but hopefully there's that one person out there that makes it where everyone else is the outsider when they look at you and that other person."

She blinked at him and was about to speak when the server came up with their order. The blonde haired she-demon looked at her meal and realized that they had gotten her cheeseburger wrong and the rest of her food except for her smoothie. She glared at the young male server not much older than she and Brad. "I didn't order this! You messed up my cheeseburger you stupid scuzz. I've been ordering the same thing for years. Now go get it right!"

The teenager scurried off to fix their order.

Brad looked down and shook his head. "Sam? Did you really have to do that?"

"He got our order wrong," she replied defensively looking at him as if something was wrong with him.

With a raised eyebrow and shocked expression, he asked, "So you just had to go off on him?"

"Yes, I can't stand stupid people. We're the ones that are supposed to take advantage of stupid people. They're not supposed to do that to us."

Brad let out a breath and ever so slightly shook his head. "They just got the order wrong. It happens and that doesn't make them stupid."

Sam looked down at her tray of fries and the wrongly prepared cheeseburger and felt she lost her appetite for a moment. In a dry and soft tone, she asked, "What would you have done?"

"Well, I would have been a little nicer to him—"

"I can't stand nice," she replied with a half snare of her mouth then looked back at the tabletop.

"Then why do you hang out with Carly?"

"It took me years to get use to her and… she puts up with me," she finished quietly.

He grinned as he asked, "Is it going to take years to get use to me?"

"Why? You going to stick around that long?"

He smiled softly, "I don't know. What college are you going to?"

She took a sip from her smoothie as she contemplated the answer to his question. The dirty blonde felt her cheeks warm for some reason. She whispered out, "Maybe U-Dub."

"Oh? I'm thinking about going there after graduation. What's your major going to be?"

"Haven't decided," she gave a little nod to the side with her head and took another sip from the smoothie.

"I'm sure you'll find something out that suits you," he assured her with a smile.

She swallowed and looked back down at the table, picking at a fry.

A moment or so later, the server came back with her order and this time correct. She took a bite into her cheeseburger, savoring the taste, but noticed Brad's disapproving look. "What?" she choked out with food still in her mouth.

He looked to the server that stood there kind of nervously then back to Sam. "You could thank him."

Sam rolled her eyes and finished swallowing her food. She looked to the server and mumbled out, "Thanks."

He nodded his head and quickly walked away before letting the teenager change her mind in thanking him.

"That wasn't hard was it?" Brad asked with a soft chuckle.

"That was painful," she spoke in a manner that sounded like a pout to Brad, but he knew he must have just been hearing things.

"You get use to it; you've done it before with Carly," he retorted and started laughing louder.

"Yeah, whatever," the shorter teenager replied before sinking her teeth back into the burger.

Brad shook his head and started digging into his own meal.

They chatted for about a half an hour or so between bites, well, he talked and she mostly listened because talking took time away from eating. Some of his jokes fell flat, but others got her to laugh and one to the point of almost spitting up a slurp of her smoothie. She gave him a particularly harsh glare at that one, but at least she didn't throw the rest of the drink in his face.

He of course paid for the meal, but he didn't mind because it was an interesting date, but he didn't use the word as they were exiting the Groovy Smoothie. "Let me drive you home?" he asked with a hopeful smile.

Sam looked to the sidewalk and shrugged a shoulder. "Mama wouldn't mind a ride."

A few minutes later, he pulled his car up to the curb in front of her house. "Well, this is the place," she barely got out as she undid her seatbelt and hopped out of the car. He apparently surprised her when he turned off the ignition and got out of the car just as quickly.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a raise eyebrow as he walked in front of the car and in front of her.

"I'm at least walking you to your door," he explained with a confident smile.

"As long as you don't get any funny ideas," she replied with a narrow look at him.

He laughed in response, "I save my funny ideas for the show."

The corner of her mouth rose up, "Still making jokes?"

It was his turn to shrug a shoulder and smiled back. She shook her head and turned to walk to her front door with him on her left and slightly behind. She pulled out her keys and undid the lock.

Sam turned around quickly and kissed him on the cheek. She looked to him with a reserved look as she spoke, "There, you have your kiss back." She quickly turned into her house and shut the door before he could say a word.

He snorted out a breath and shook his head. _You knew it wasn't going to be easy._

Ridgeway High School  
>Monday, February 20, 2012<p>

Carly was trying to stop herself from grinning ear to ear as she walked down the hall towards her locker. She had her engagement ring hanging around her neck and under her shirt collar. Every so often she would reach up and pat just below her neck to make sure it was still there and maybe to make sure this was still really happening to her. She would always continue up and thumb her butterfly pendant to not attract unwanted attention and remind her of one of the first steps that got her to this point.

She reached her locker and was switching out some books for her next few classes as she thought on know how she was going to get through the day without shouting for joy. She took a calming breath knowing that she just had to get through these five days then she could shout for the world to hear that she had married Freddie. She was still debating on how to handle a last name for after the wedding.

The brunette was so deep in thought that she failed to notice Wendy walking up to her with big smile on her face. "How's the skit going?" Wendy asked with a hint good natured deviousness.

"Skit?" Carly asked as she blinked in surprise at seeing the redhead.

"The one where Idiot Farm Girl and Fredward Cullen get married?"

"Oh, sorry, my mind was someplace else," the brunette apologized with a shake of her head as she closed her locker. "We're still working it out on how he pops the question then them getting married."

"You could always have her ask. She wouldn't know any better that it's the guy that is suppose to ask," Wendy laughed at her own idea.

Carly lost her friendly smile for a moment at the unintentional insult. In a colder tone than she wanted, the web-hostess replied, "It could work; maybe she's just smart enough not to let a good thing get away from her and doesn't see the point in waiting."

Wendy grinned and shook her head. "Maybe, but I doubt it; so did you get a dress yet?"

Carly took another breath and put on the best acting smile she could and answered, "We're still looking for something that would suit the character. Sam and I are going to go look later this week then have it ready for not this Friday's show, but the next one."

"Okay, I'm really looking forward to it, because you know, Freddie is dreamy as Cullen, but I don't have to tell you that," she spoke then laughed.

Carly gave her a nervous laugh. "Right, he's dreamy." The brunette cleared her throat and continued, "You promised not to tell anyone."

Wendy held up a hand and replied, "I remember; my lips are sealed. I wouldn't want to spoil it for anyone."

"Thanks," she nodded with her response.

"Well, later Carls, I need to get to class before Briggs starts yelling," she spoke before walking past Carly.

"Later Wendy," she replied friendlier than she expected as the sting of the backhanded insult still coursed through her.

She passed Sam as the blonde was approaching her locker and the girls exchanged friendly nods.

"Hey," Sam greeted her friend with a big smile.

"Hey," Carly replied in a deflated tone.

"What's wrong?" she picked up the tone and the slender girl's change in posture.

She shook her head. "Nothing, just something Wendy said."

Sam narrowed her eyes and asked in a none too pleased tone, "What did she say?"

"She brought up the Idiot Farm Girl and Cullen skit about them getting married—"

"The one you made up when she overheard you and Freddie?"

"Right, I was just making stuff up to placate her and that Idiot Farm Girl could ask Cullen to marry her, but Wendy thought that could work because she wouldn't have sense enough to know that the guy is the one that is supposed to ask."

"Ouch… do you think she knows?"

Carly shook her head. "I don't think so, it just—"

"Hurt a little?"

The brunette gave a slight nod. "Yeah… is that how it's going to be after, you know?"

"I don't know kiddo, but does it matter?" Sam asked hopefully.

Carly blinked at the question. She just thought for a moment and the answer become just as clear when she realized that she knew she couldn't _not_ have him in her life and that she loved him. "No, it doesn't matter as long as we're together."

"Good, I'm glad you've settled that. We have enough drama as it is," she commented with a shake of her head.

Carly giggled, feeling better from her friend's successful attempt of setting everything back into perspective. "So, what about your love life?"

"What love life?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow as she finally decided to switch out some books she really had no intention of using.

"You left with Brad on Friday and you have been avoiding the subject of him for the last two days. I want to know what happened. Did you leave together?"

Sam sighed heavily, "Yes, we went to get something to eat at the Groovy Smoothie then he took me home."

"You two went out together? I need some deets," she prodded happily at her blonde friend.

"It wasn't a date and there aren't much deets to give: we ate, some of his jokes were funny, others weren't, then he took me home."

"Oh, are you going to go with him on another 'not' date?"

She tilted her head to the side and shrugged a shoulder as she shut her locker. "I don't know. He…"

"What?"

"He seemed to… put up with my abrasiveness," she commented bashfully.

"That's a start," Carly commented hopefully.

"Yeah, whatever… so, you and Freddie still going this afternoon?"

"Yep, have to leave school as fast as we can so we can get it filed today, so _it_ can happen on Friday. Sorry we can't give you a ride," she spoke truly apologetically at being caught between time and having her friend fend for herself.

She waved off her brunette friend. "It's fine."

"You could get Brad to give you a lift?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Don't push it Shay," Sam pointed back with a smirk.

Carly just laughed and shook her head. She looped her arm around Sam and dragged her on to their next class.

King County Administration Building  
>500 Fourth Avenue<br>Seattle, WA 98104  
>Monday, February 20, 2012<p>

Carly and Freddie stepped off the elevator onto the third floor and immediately set out to find the Marriage Licensing, Room 311. If getting a license wasn't enough for the pair to be nervousness, it was the possibility of someone recognizing the pair. They really didn't have an excuse they could make if someone recognized them. They both knew that it would quickly get on-line if video of them was captured. The best they hoped for that their minimalist disguises worked.

Carly had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and out the backside of an old US Air Force baseball cap that sat on top of her head. She wore a pair of sunglasses as well in the hopes of further obscuring her look on the off chance someone would recognize her. Freddie dressed in a T-shirt that he had borrowed from Spencer that really wasn't his style and some shades for his eyes. He even brushed his hair forward to fall over his forehead.

The brunette pair reached the room and fortunately there were only a handful of people and all of them were just as eager to get their respective licenses to pay much attention to the two teenagers. The young couple only had to wait a few minutes before a teller was available.

They approached the clerk and Carly smiled at the pretty twenty-something African-American woman as she lifted up the sunglasses to rest just above her forehead. "Hi, I'm Carlotta and my fiancé are here to get our marriage license."

She smiled back at Carly. "Hi Carlotta, I'm Lindsay; you're a young couple aren't you? High school sweethearts?"

Carly grinned and looked to Freddie for a moment before looking back to Lindsay. "Yes we are… actually we're still in high school."

She raised an eyebrow in concern. "Oh? Are you both eighteen?"

Freddie raised his hand, "I am."

Carly then spoke up, "I'm seventeen, but my father sent a consent form to you. He's in DC; he's in the Air Force."

Lindsay raised a finger. "Give me a moment to check. Your full name?"

"Carlotta Taylor Shay," she whispered hoping only Lindsay and Freddie could hear her.

"Okay, give me one moment to check," she replied and turned to go into the back and check for the consent form.

Carly let out a nervous breath as they waited for her to return. Freddie wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her right arm up and down in the hopes to comfort her. A few more moments later Lindsay returned with a manila folder in her hands. She laid the folder out on the counter.

"Yes, I have it right here," she showed the notarized consent statement.

Carly let out a relieved breath seeing that the office hadn't lost or misplaced the form.

Lindsay laughed softly. "It's okay, we have everything you need. Now, you will just have to fill out this application," she instructed as she pulled out and handed a one-sheet application and a pen to Carly. The brunette took the application and was surprised out how short it was for her and Freddie. After she and Freddie filled out their sections of the form, they handed it back to the young woman.

"Okay, and it is a sixty-four dollar fee and you're done."

Freddie nodded and pulled out his wallet. He handed her a few bills and she took a few moments to write him out a receipt.

After handing him the receipt, she instructed them, "I'm going to personally make sure this is filed and on the books before the end of the day. Remember, you have to wait at least three days before it becomes valid."

"Thank you," Carly replied with a thankful smile.

She nodded back and replied, "Good luck Creddie."

They both blinked at the comment and chill went down Carly realizing someone had figured out their identities.

Lindsay grinned. "Your secret is safe with me. I promise and I'll make sure that this is on file for today."

The pair nodded their thanks and turned to head out of the room. They thought they were free and clear as they past a middle age couple entering, but Carly bumped into a younger teenager as she was following the couple. The girl was not older than fourteen at most the brunette guessed.

"Oh, excuse me," Carly apologized as she made sure the girl didn't fall. Another girl, maybe her younger sister followed her and stopped.

Carly hadn't pulled her shades back down and apparently the girl recognized who she bumped into as she entered the room, because the first girl beamed at the brunette. She spoke, "Hey, aren't you—"

"Yes, I'm Miranda Cosgrove," she rattled off quickly. Carly knew that was a lame cover but—

"I knew it!" the younger teenager shouted with joy. She turned and looked to the other girl with a joyful grin, "I told you I was right."

The brunette looked to her fiancé with a raised eyebrow and he responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

She then looked to Freddie and spoke, "And you're—"

"Yes, I'm him," Freddie replied, not sure who he was suppose to be at the moment.

"So you're going to get married?" the second girl asked hopefully.

Freddie raised a finger to his lips. "Shh, we're trying to keep it a secret."

"Oh, okay… could we get an autograph?" she asked hopefully.

She looked back to the little girl and smiled. "Of course you can."

The girl handed her a little notepad and a pen. The brunette took the pin and quickly signed Miranda Cosgrove. A twinge of pain hit her chest after signing the pad and having to be dishonest with the girl. The girl took the pad back and held it to Freddie. He swallowed nervously as he didn't know what name to sign. He took the pad and thought for a moment on who he could sign as then asked, "Any special message?"

The girls looked to each other for a moment before looking back at him. The older girl responded, "To our biggest Mathan fans, Nathan."

He nodded and gave a nervous smile, "Okay, not a problem." He quickly signed and handed the pad back.

Carly leaned down a little and whispered to the girls, "Now please don't tell anyone."

"We won't," the both replied simultaneously. The girls happily turned and walked over to join the couple at the counter window.

Freddie blinked and turned to his fiancé with a shocked look on his face. He mouthed to her, "Miranda Cosgrove?"

She shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip from embarrassment.

Before anything else could happen, he took her hand and led them back to the elevator.

As they buckled up in their seats in the Tech-Producer's car and he started his car, he spoke with a disbelieving tone, "I can't believe they bought that you were Miranda Cosgrove."

"Why?"

"Because… you're prettier than her," he whispered back with a grin.

Carly blinked and tried to speak, but Freddie kissed her on the cheek then pulled them out of the parking spot.

Benson Residence  
>Monday, February 20, 2012<p>

It was approaching dinner time when Freddie entered his apartment. He had changed back into his own shirt and combed his hear off his forehead. Surprisingly, he had found his mother in the kitchen preparing dinner instead of heading off for another night shift at the hospital.

"Hey," he greeted hesitantly as he walked to the kitchen counter that separated their living room and kitchen.

Mrs. Benson lifted her head from paying attention to the stove where she was preparing some soup. "Freddie," she greeted him whether formally.

Freddie let out a breath and shook his head. "Are we going to talk about this or are you going to continue to avoid me?"

The Benson matriarch stirred the soup as she replied, "What's there to say? You're getting married and you won't reconsider it."

He looked to his mother with a determined expression. "There is nothing to reconsider… we're getting married this Friday. Carly and I just got back from the courthouse to get are marriage license."

She turned sharply to look at him. She blinked and tried to form syllables, but nothing would come out of her mouth. After a few more attempts, she spoke, "So, Steven said yes?"

Freddie nodded, "Yes, the General said yes. He sent his permission without any problems."

Mrs. Benson let out a tired breath and shook her head. "I will never understand that man."

Freddie shrugged his shoulders. "He's a complex man… just like his daughter."

His mother then turned off the stove burner and took the pot off the burner over to a cold burner. She turned back and looked at her son. "You don't know the half of it."

Freddie let out a relieved laugh, "Probably not, but he seems to understand that this is real between me and Carly."

Marissa let out a disdained laugh as she replied, "Of course, he can't exactly tell you that it's a mistake. He'd have to admit him getting married and having Spencer was a mistake."

Freddie lost his brief good humor look and replied in a slightly defensive tone, "Only if he regretted he said; he told me if he had to do it again, he'd do the same thing."

She with a hint of irritation in her voice, spoke, "That man has never given any ground as long as I've known him. He's one stubborn man."

He countered calmly, "He's a man of his convictions I would say. Even when I thought he wronged me for a moment after walking away from Carly, he didn't back down or thought he was wrong or dare offer any kind of apology… he cared about both of us, even if what he did… what he set in motion hurt us for a while."

The nurse looked down at the kitchen counter as she thought about what her son said. "So, you have a marriage license?"

Freddie paused for a moment in the change of subject, but quickly found his footing and spoke up, "And a ring and we've picked out a chapel. She just has to get her dress on Wednesday."

Mrs. Benson let her jaw drop for a moment before asking, "You got her a ring?"

"Yes. She may have asked me, but I still needed to get her an engagement ring. She is my fiancée."

"It looks like you have everything set."

A smile played on his lips as he replied, "Yes we do; we're making sure everything is right before the ceremony."

"So you're really going through with this?"

"Yes and I already told you why," he spoke in a determined tone.

Mrs. Benson walked around the counter and took a seat on their couch in the living room. He turned walked over and took a seat beside her on the couch.

She smiled half-heartedly and continued, "I'm just having a hard time believing you really understand what you told me."

"Because I'm just eighteen?" he asked finding it hard to believe that he was hearing the same argument again.

"Yes and because you're my baby."

Freddie closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened them and looked to his mother sympathetically. "Mom, you can be happy for me or not, but I'm not a child anymore. I'm getting married and Carly is going to be my wife and your daughter-in-law."

She replied sarcastically, "You think it's so easy. 'Let's get married, it will solve everything'."

"No it won't," he replied back surprising her. "It's going to be hard and rough at times. I have no illusions otherwise, but I already told you that I'm going to stick to it for the good times and bad."

Marissa shook her head realizing that they were just going to go in circles. "Where are you two going to live? Do you expect me to let her live here?"

"I'm moving in with Carly and Spencer. Mister Shay suggested it and gave his permission. I don't know if it is until college or we'll continue living there through college since we're probably going to UW in Seattle."

"You're moving out? Again?" she asked with evident shock.

He nodded. "Yes, right after we get married, I'll start packing my stuff to move over there and this time for good."

Mrs. Benson took a slow deep breath before releasing it. She had a look of defeatism on her face. She couldn't bully him into doing anything ever since he moved out the first time.

"Mom, I love you, but… Carly will come first now. I have to put my wife first. I'm just going to be across the hall if you need me."

She smiled softly as she looked past Freddie as she spoke, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh… I just don't know if I can be at the wedding. I just think it's too soon for you."

He returned the smile as he replied, "I understand, I'll miss you at the wedding, but I won't hold it up for you. I still love you mom and I don't hold any resentment if you're not there, because I know you love me."

Marissa blinked in surprise at her son's statement and his warm smile. She nodded her head and motioned with her head back towards the kitchen. "I need to eat before I go to work."

Freddie laughed and smiled. This was as far as they could go in this conversation, but at least it cleared the air with them somewhat and he was happy for at least that much at the moment. He replied, "Okay mom."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: This one is going to have a little harsh language and violence just to let you know.**

Chapter 15

Late July, 1980

Taylor smiled as she was cuddled up with Steven on the couch in her living room watching television on a pleasant Friday afternoon. Barry was sitting in one of the love seats reading one of his books and Steven was paying attention to the television with a slight smile on his face. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder and realized that she was truly happy. This was the way life should be, she thought, however, it was not to last.

"Steven!" Mister Dorfman called out from his parlor. The tall man entered carrying a phone in one hand and the receiver in the other, trying to cover the mouthpiece. "Steven, your father is on the phone," Dorfman lifted the phone up.

Steven raised an eyebrow before detangling from Taylor and getting up from the couch. Taylor sat up and looked to her boyfriend with a worried expression. He approached the Dorfman patriarch and took the phone and held it to the side of his face. "What is it dad?" Steven asked with a hesitantly curious tone.

"You need to go over to Ruby's house. Her mother just called asking for you."

Horror struck him down to his bones. "Has something happened to Ruby?"

Taylor stood up and approached the long haired teenager slowly. Her heart sank as a number of scary scenarios went through her mind.

"She's physically alright, but her mother wanted you to come over. She wouldn't tell me over the phone why," he replied in a concern tone to Steven's ear.

The teenager took a breath trying to calm himself. It had been a long time since he heard that kind of tone from his father and the last time was not a pleasant experience. He caught a glance from Taylor's worried expression. "Okay dad, I'm going to go over there right now." He didn't wait to hear his father's response before handing the phone back to Mister Dorfman.

Steven looked to Taylor with an unsure look of what to do, but whispered anyway, "I got to go." He crossed the short distance between them and gave Taylor a kiss on the forehead then ran out of the house towards his motorcycle.

Taylor gave a small wave and whispered, "Be safe."

* * *

><p>Steven's shoulders felt heavy as he walked down the familiar hallway. He had walked and ran down this hallway so many times over the years his feet knew where to step through muscle memory alone, but this time even they were apprehensive in functioning. He realized the tension in his shoulders reached to his legs and feet. He growled out in frustration and picked up the pace with renewed determination.<p>

He stopped at the doorway to inside of the bedroom. It was slightly opened and he placed his fingertips against it to open it further for him to step inside. It was a dark room of blacks and purples. There were various posters of the popular gothic rock bands (mostly from England) of the day: Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins and The Sisters of Mercy. She was literally one of the first of the Goths in the US (it being 1980 and all). The only thing that stood out was a collection of pinned butterflies in a glass case hanging on the wall.

He ignored all those familiar trappings to see his raven haired friend sitting on the end of her black sheet covered bed with her back to the door. She was hunched over and Steven heard the swallow quick breaths coming from her. He quietly walked over and took a seat beside her and looked at his apparently heartbroken friend. She was taking quick breaths through her nose, but hadn't shed a tear. She looked paler than usual. He spoke so quietly he doubted for a moment that he actually spoke, "Ruby?"

She turned her head slowly and faced the long haired teenager. He nearly flinched at the sight of her sad eyes. "I'm not going to cry," she whispered in defiance. "I am not going to cry," she choked out.

His own heartbreak for her must have shown on his face, because she shut her eyes and covered her mouth with a hand. Steven wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She latched on and gripped tightly to his perfecto jacket and heaved out a cry into the crook of his neck and started weeping. Steven closed his own eyes and embraced his own pain for her.

"I'm so sorry Ruby," he whispered then kissed the top of her head.

He didn't know how much time had passed as he held her and rocked her gently as she cried. He whispered to her that he was there and that it was going to be alright. Finally she lifted her head up to look at him with mascara and tears running down her cheeks. She sniffled a few times before stating, "I got a little make up on your jacket."

He kissed her forehead before meeting her eyes with a smile. He whispered back, "It's okay Ruby; black jacket, black mascara, no one is going to notice."

She let out a relieved laugh and lowered her head to rest her forehead on his cheek.

Steven tightened his grip around her waist and whispered, "I want you get some things and come with me."

She lifted her head and raised an eyebrow when she looked at him. "Where do you want to go?"

"Going to Taylor's; have a nice little sleepover," he replied with a hint of a smile.

She sniffled again, but kept the smile on her face, "I'm a little old for sleepovers."

"I may be a dumb guy, but I'm smart enough to know that you might need a little 'girl time' and who better to help you than another girl. Please?"

She took a deep breath and released it then wiped away some of the tears and mascara off of her cheeks with the back of her hands. "Fine."

He grinned happily in response. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Steven pulled up into the Dorfman driveway about twenty minutes later. Taylor was already standing in front of the open garage apparently having waiting the entire time. Barry sat on a stool at the workbench to one side of the garage.<p>

The pair climbed off the Harley, but Ruby, hefting her back pack to make sure it was still securely on her back, was a little more hesitant as she looked in wonder as she saw the Dorfman residence for the first time. She finally started walking towards the bandana wearing teenager with Steven trailing behind.

Taylor smiled at Ruby then pulled her into a hug. Ruby was shocked, but quickly overcame it with softly patting the slightly shorter girl's back. Taylor pulled away first and looped her arm through Ruby's arm and grinned at the taller girl. "Let me show my house," she whispered excitingly. She then gently pulled the girl along towards the garage entrance to the home.

Steven started slowly walking backwards back to his bike, but stopped in his tracks when he heard Barry let out a breath and asked, "Where are you going?"

"To see someone who I thought was a friend," he whispered out coldly then turned around and hopped back on his bike.

* * *

><p>It was about fifteen minutes later that Steven pulled his motorcycle up in his usual spot at the end of the large vacant grassy lot. There were a number of vehicles with various teenagers hanging around as was customary on Friday afternoons. The long haired teenager turned off the ignition and got off of his ride. He slipped his keys into his pocket and approached the gathering to look for one particular individual.<p>

Bobby smiled as he intercepted Steven. "Hey Steven?" he greeted in a questioning tone.

Steven stared at the former football player coldly. "Bobby, get out of my way or I'm going to fuckup your other knee worst than your first one."

Bobby swallowed nervously and stood aside. He walked by the former football player and scanned the group of teenagers just hanging out around the yard and their vehicles. They were milling about and exchanging stories and what they had done over the week. He caught his target sitting on the hood of the black Dodge Charger with his new girlfriend. She was that same redhead that Steven wouldn't give a second glance if he passed her in the hallway. He realized that was probably the reason he didn't recognize her earlier before school let out for the summer.

Steven stopped a few feet in front of the Charger. "Glenn, whatever your name is," he greeted the pair. "I see everyone is welcoming you with open arms."

"Hey Steven," Glenn greeted Steven in a hesitant tone.

"So everyone is cool with this bullshit," Steven stated, whether than asked in a detached voice. The others turned their attention to the scene. "I see where our self-dignity went: right down the crapper. We're not the self-proclaimed outcasts, we're just the assholes."

"This from the guy who never cared?" Bobby asked dismissively.

"I may have not cared, but you _always_ knew where I stood. I don't bullshit _anyone_ and I'm not going to start now. I'm here for one reason and when I'm done, the rest of you can all go to Hell."

"Why are you here then?" Glenn asked in a relaxed tone.

He turned his head slowly to meet the other's eyes and in a cold tone replied, "I'm here to beat your ass into the ground."

Glenn blinked and swallowed nervously.

The corner of Steven's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "You really thought you weren't going to answer to me?"

"I thought maybe you'd mind your own business like you always have unless it came to Taylor or involved her."

Steven snorted out dismissively, "And disregard Ruby? Man you are a dumbass."

Glenn raised his hands up. "Steven, I'm not looking for trouble from you."

Steven growled out, "Then you should have had the Goddamn balls to breakup with her first before you hopped to your mistress behind her back."

The redhead was about to shout something, but Glenn held up a hand and looked to her with pleading eyes to stop. She relented and closed her mouth.

"You really want to do that? What's Taylor going to say?"

"Don't know," Steven grinned, "We'll talk about it when we talk about it, but how my girlfriend and I will discuss what is about to happen is going to be the least of your worries."

"Maybe you'll be concerned when she wonders how many times Ruby cheat on me with you."

Steven smirked. "You know better than that. If she wanted me, she wouldn't have wasted her time with you and you can sprout that bullshit until your face is as blue as your balls, but of course I'm guessing she's took care of that." He glanced at the redhead after that remark. She sneered back.

Glenn clenched his jaw and got off the hood off his car to approach the long haired teenager.

Steven approached as well, but some younger boy, some new junior Steven didn't know that well, tried to step between in hopes of defusing the situation. He raised his hands up hoping to show he wasn't threatening. Steven didn't care and grabbed one of the boy's thumbs and twisted the wrist and pushed down the thumb towards the ground. The stringy black haired teenager immediately went to his knees to prevent his wrist and thumb from braking. He looked around to the rest of them. "Do any of you think I've gotten soft over the last few months? You'd be amazed at all the stuff Colonel Dorfman has taught me over that time. Unless you care for me to demonstrate any of what I've learned on you, then you will all back the fuck off!"

The guys that had approached hoping to prevent a fight started stepping back from the scene. "That's better." He looked down at the junior and shoved him away and onto his back. He scurried off and Steven looked to Glenn. The pair approached each other to a little more than three feet between them. They were each gagging the other waiting to see who would throw the first punch.

Glenn was leaner than Steven and was just a little bit quicker in his footwork than the long haired teenager. Those were Glenn's main advantages in any fight with Steven, unfortunately for Glenn, Steven knew about that over the last year of just some good natured scuffles between them on the weekends.

Steven swung with a wide right hook, but Glenn ducked it (as expected) with a smile on his face. "A little slow Steven—" he started but was rudely interrupted with a sharp left uppercut from Steven to the jaw that snapped his head back and sent him tumbling back. Steven was on top of him in an instance and grabbed him by the neck with one hand and started punching him in the face with the other. The first punch broke his glasses and popped him good in the nose. Glenn clawed at the hand around his throat with one hand and tried to protect his face with his other arm, but Steven just powered through giving the boy a split lip and bloody nose after the first few punches.

Glenn's new girlfriend had other ideas then to watch her boyfriend get beat to a bloody pulp. She jumped on Steven's back wrapping one forearm around his neck and grabbing hold of his long hair. She yanked hard almost to the point of ripping some out of the scalp. Steven growled as he let go of Glenn and pushed off to get to his feet with her on his back. She was flailing on his back as he got to his feet. He was able to reach back and grab her by her long red hair. He gave a good pull and she tumbled off of his shoulder.

She rolled to the ground, but was amazingly quick to come back at him as he stood up straight. The redhead tried to claw at his face with her sharpened nails, but Steven with a closed fist backhanded the girl with his left hand and she went face first into the grassy ground. He immediately turned his attention to face Glenn just in time to see the slimmer teenager spear him from the side and they tumbled to the ground. They rolled for a few seconds until Steven grabbed a mess of Glenn's shirt and shoved him off.

The pair got to their feet quickly and Glenn threw a few quick jabs. One connected with Steven's jaw that he shook off and replied with one back just under Glenn's ribcage. He bent over as the wind was knocked out of him. Steven grabbed him by the shoulder and by the back and belt of his jeans and hauled him off of his feet and flung him towards the side of the Charger. He flew in mid-air for the briefest of moments before his side and shoulder smacked the driver's side window shattering it then him dropping to the ground. Steven bent down and grabbed the curly haired teenager by the collar and pulled him to his feet. He then slammed him against the car. "Have fun with your little whore," Steven growled out in a whisper.

Steven pulled back and looked to Glenn for a moment just before pulling him forward and kneeing him hard between the legs. Glenn gargled out a sound. Steven lifted him back up and whispered into his other ear, "Or maybe not." The long haired boy then dropped his former friend on the ground; he instantly formed a fetal position holding himself and started rocking back and forth. Steven brushed himself off and flicked his head so that his hair flung out of his vision.

Steven turned and headed back to his motorcycle. As he passed Glenn's new girlfriend sitting with a hand pressed against her cheek and decided to stop and spare a glance towards her. "A little piece of advice for you: if you are going to start a fight with a man, you better be able to take it like a man." He then left her to think that over as he went to his bike without any interference from now all his former friends and associates.

**Author's Note: Wow, a lot happened in this update in both points in time. I hope these chapters gave you insights of the pasts that reflect in the future. Any parallel characters traits with other known characters are entirely on purpose. See you on Monday.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note: Thanks all my dear readers for reading and reviewing. I have a larger update for you today on this Monday. A lot of interesting twists and turns for you that I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 16

Ruby had washed her face and was completely clear of her usual dark eyeliner and eye shadow. Also unusual for the dark haired beauty was that she had her raven hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked and felt… plain. She had already changed for the night into some sweatpants and oversize T-shirt. She let out a tired breath as she sat at the island in the large kitchen and watched the brunette girl dig through the freezer for something.

Taylor took a seat across from her on another stool and sat a tub of chocolate ice cream in front of Ruby. The paler teenager looked to the brunette as if she was crazy. "Your suggestion is ice cream?"

"It's comfort food," she replied with a smile then held up a spoon.

Ruby rolled her eyes and shook her head before taking the spoon from the brunette. She looked one last time at the brunette then took a spoonful of ice cream out of the tub. She shoveled it into her mouth. After swallowing the soft and creamy ice cream, she stated, "Let's make it clear: you're not braiding my hair."

Taylor's brow furled. "Why would I braid your hair?"

She shook her head. "That's what you do at sleepovers."

The brunette blinked and gave the darker haired girl a contemplating look. "Oh… I never had a sleep over or been to one."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

The artist shook her head. "Nope. I was never invited to one. Other girls at school never liked me around."

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered.

She replied without regret or sadness, just graceful acceptance, "That's just my life: people don't understand me and they don't care to, so they don't like me around. I really don't understand most people either, so it works out."

"Isn't that lonely?"

Taylor looked down at the counter and whispered, "At times, but I'm not lonely anymore."

Ruby nodded. "He loves you, you know?"

Taylor continued to look at the counter, but grinned. "I know."

"I'm happy he found you especially when I had…" she stopped to take another scoop of ice cream into her mouth.

Taylor looked up and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Ruby swallowed the ice cream and looked at the artist, but didn't really look at her. "I thought… _he_ loved me."

"Do you know why he went with her?"

Ruby nodded. "I know exactly why, because we never…" She averted her eyes down towards the container and poked the spoon into the ice cream.

Taylor remained quiet just looking sympathetically at the tired teenager.

Still distracted by the ice cream, Ruby continued, "I guess he had his needs and I wouldn't satisfy them so he looked someplace else."

It took Taylor a moment to realize what she meant, but replied with, "Oh…" The artist then a little blush formed on her cheeks.

Ruby looked up to see her expression. "Yeah… I'm not active as I make it look. I have my image to project and look where it got me…" she chuckled sadly, "sitting here eating ice cream."

"At least you have ice cream?" Taylor replied with an unsure smile.

Ruby snorted out a laugh at the artist's sweet attempt to cheer her up. She gave a small smile to the brunette and replied, "I think I have more than that: I know who my friends are."

Taylor smiled brightly at her and the girls broke out into a relieving laugh. After a therapeutic laugh, Taylor spoke, "It's alright for it to hurt for a while."

Ruby nodded with an accepting smile.

"But you have us," Taylor smiled hoping it was enough.

"Thanks Taylor."

"You're welcome," she replied happy that she could help.

A few moments later, they heard the door open from the garage. They exchanged looks briefly and got up to see who was coming inside the house. It wasn't too hard a guess for either of the girls about the identity of the individual. They trotted over, bare feet and socks on the linoleum floor to meet the individual at the door entering the kitchen.

Steven stopped as he met the girls and blinked at nearly running into them. They looked at him just as hesitantly: there was dry blood on his knuckles and on the end of the sleeves of his jacket and grass stains on his blue jeans with his hair a mess.

Steven and Ruby's eyes met and the old friends just looked at one another having a conversation with just a twitch of a jaw muscle or eyes narrowing on the other or a slight tilt of the head. It was Steven that was the first to speak in a quiet tone, "I didn't hurt him as badly as Evan, but… he's going to have some performance problems for at least the next few days… a new pair of glasses and he needs to replace a window in the Charger."

Ruby looked down to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. "You shouldn't have done that… I still care about him a little even if he…"

Steven growled out, "I know… but I couldn't just let him get away with that. I found him flaunting being with her to everyone and no one cared what he had done."

Ruby snapped her head up to meet his eyes again and displayed on her face her shock at that bit of news. Steven shook his head then ran a hand through his hair on the left side and when he brought his hand back down, a number of hairs were caught between his fingers. He sighed, "Damn." He pulled the hairs out between his fingers and onto the countertop of the counter beside the door. He looked back to the two girls and stated, "She's a hair puller."

Both of the girls looked shocked as some of his hair came out. It wasn't enough to show any kind of bald spot, but it was more than just a few stray hairs. Taylor closed the distance and took his other hand. "Come on, let me clean you up." She then pulled him gently to the stool she was sitting in a few moments ago and pointed to him to sit. He rolled his eyes, but complied in taking a seat.

Taylor went over to the kitchen sink and took a rag out of a drawer and began to wet it as Steven took off his biker jacket and set it on the island. Ruby stood beside him and leaned against the side of the island.

Ruby asked, "She grabbed you by the hair?"

"She didn't like me pounding on Glenn's face."

"What did you do?"

Steven laughed darkly. "Her face became acquainted with the back of my hand."

Taylor walked back over and started wiping off the side of his face. She asked, "You hit her?"

Steven raised an eyebrow. "She tried to claw at my face sweetie; I wasn't really concerned with what kind of sex organs she had at the moment. Would either one of you cared if someone pulled at your hair?"

Both girls looked to each other for a moment and shrugged their shoulders simultaneously. Ruby suggested, "You could finally cut your hair."

Steven blinked at her as Taylor went on to wiping the dry blood off of his knuckles. "Do you know how long it took me to get it this long and voluminous?"

"Yes, I do. I remember when you use to have short hair and this," she gentle lifted some hair and let it fall. "It makes you look like a girl," she replied with half smile.

He flicked his hair away from the side of his face with a jerk of his neck. "It does not… besides, it sounds like you're just jealous."

"Me jealous of your hair? You can't compete with this," she laughed back and pointed to her on black hair.

He laughed back at the pale teenager.

Taylor smiled to herself as she watched her boyfriend and now friend banter and that he was able to get Ruby to smile as she wiped the dry blood off the other hand.

Shay Apartment  
>Tuesday, February 21, 2012<p>

It had been about an hour after school had let out and Carly and Sam were back at the Shays' apartment. Sam was sitting at the computer on the kitchen counter and read the latest bit of gossip online. "Ah, Carls? You may want to come over here," the blonde hesitantly suggested.

Carly was working on some homework on the couch and turned her head in concern about Sam's request. "What's up?"

Sam motioned her head for Carly to get up and come to the computer. The brunette relented and walked up to behind Sam and looked over the shorter girl's shoulder.

"What?"

Sam pointed to the screen and stated, "Your little impersonation stunt started a rumor that Miranda Cosgrove and Nathan Kress are getting married."

Carly looked closer to the screen and read the short article. Her cheeks hollowed her eyes opened wide. "Oh my God." She looked to her blonde friend who mirrored her look of being in trouble. "I told you: I panicked and said the first name that popped into my head."

Sam broke into laughter and shook her head.

"This isn't funny!"

"It's hilarious," she replied with a joyful laugh.

"Not to them!"

"It is to me," Sam replied as she continued to laugh then waved her off. "It's going to be fine Carls; it'll pass in a few days without a problem. There's always some celebrity news and you know how teenagers like us love it."

"I'm going to have to apologize to them somehow," she replied guiltily.

Sam lifted a finger. "After the wedding kiddo or she just might spill the news… accidentally."

"I don't think she would do that, but fine; we'll do a segment on the show the week after the wedding, okay?"

"Yes, mom," the blonde rolled her eyes.

Carly smiled and shook her head then went back to the couch to continue her homework. The next moment, her PearPhone sitting on the coffee table rang. She answered the call, "Hello."

Sam turned in her seat, curious who was on the other end of the call.

"Yes, this is Taylor Shay. You did?" Carly asked with a big grin. She looked up at Sam who wore an eager expression on her face. "Okay great, I'm on my way."

"What?" the blonde eagerly asked.

Carly stood up and shouted for joy, "They got my dress in early. We got to go."

Cicada  
>1121 1st Avenue<br>Seattle, WA  
>Tuesday, February 21, 2012<p>

Sam sighed loudly as she entered the bridal shop with her eager brunette friend. She had thrown back on her disguise she used to get the ring with Brad and the brunette wig was causing her to itch. Carly had put back on that old Air Force baseball cap and sunglasses as she did yesterday.

Carly rolled her eyes and responded to the sigh, "We won't be in here that long. I told you: I already picked out the one I want; I just have to double check to see if it fits properly."

Sam let out another sigh, "Fine."

The brunette approached the counter eagerly and introduced herself as Taylor Shay. The saleswoman smiled back, a Mrs. Baldwin, if Carly caught her name correctly, and escorted her with Sam to a back dressing room to try on the wedding gown.

The blonde took a seat waiting as her friend changed into the gown. She had to keep tugging on the end of the borrowed skirt because it kept riding up on her. She would never why other girls would want to be all daffodility.

Sam turned and looked as she heard the sound of the door opening for Carly to step out in the white gown. Sam stood up and smiled to her friend. "It's beautiful Carls."

Carly bashfully pulled some of her hair behind her ear and looked down at her dress with a bubble hem that reached down to just above her knees. "You really think so? I thought I would go with something non-traditional—"

Sam walked towards and hugged her. She whispered in the taller girl's ear, "It's you Carly… you're going to be a beautiful bride."

Carly sniffled as she suddenly felt kind of… bubbly inside realizing she was one step closer to being married.

Sam pulled back and grasped Carly's shoulders as she realized that Carly looked as if she was about to cry. "Hey cupcake, no crying until after the wedding."

Carly sniffled again and brought a hand up to stop any tears from falling. "Okay, no crying," she whispered taking a calming breath. The next moment she grinned and continued, "Now we have to get your maid of honor dress."

Sam blinked in horror as she realized that she was going to have to wear another dress especially after the ridiculous one she had to wear at the last wedding. However, she had to admit the food was good.

After some fast talking and pleading, Carly finally got her into the dressing room to try on her maid of honor's dress. She waited a few minutes for the blonde to exit the dressing room for Carly to see her dress.

"Wow… Brad is going to love that," Carly whispered.

Sam looked down embarrassed by the comment. She wore a marine color short strapless charmeuse dress with a ruched waist. She cleared her throat, "Yeah, whatever. So it really looks good?"

"Fantastic," the brunette replied gleefully.

"Good, can I change now?"

Carly rolled her eyes then waved her off, "Fine go change."

"Yes," she whispered and turned back quickly to change.

After a few minutes of changing back into their clothes, the girls went back to the counter to purchase the dresses with two bridesmaid dresses for Faye and Melanie in the hopes they could both make the wedding. Carly had to guess at Faye's size and both girls assumed that Melanie was the same size as Sam.

The saleswoman smiled and commented as she finished ringing up the purchases, "You're going to be a beautiful bride Carly."

The brunette blinked in surprise behind her sunglasses at the statement then smiled bashfully. Sam took in a quick breath when realizing that they had been discovered.

The saleswoman shook her head. "I'm not going to tell a soul. My love to you both."

"Thank you," Carly mouthed before turning and leaving out with Sam a relieved look on her face.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Shay Apartment  
>Tuesday, February 21, 2012<p>

Freddie knocked twice before entering the apartment. Once he stepped inside, he saw that Spencer was working on what looked like a sculpture of a metal dog.

"Hey Spencer," he greeted the artist casually.

"Hey Freddie," he replied but continued to tighten a screw to a joint on the mechanical pooch.

"Have you seen Carly?" he asked as he glanced up at the stairs as if he could magically sense if she was upstairs.

Spencer looked up from the sculpture. "Yeah, she and Sam went to get her wedding and the bridesmaid dresses. It came in early."

"Oh?" Freddie spoke with a raised brow. "Oh," he whispered to himself with a grin.

Spencer smiled as he turned back to his sculpture.

Freddie took a deep breath and let out a nervous breath as he approached the sculptor. "Spencer, since it's just us here, I need to ask you something."

The artist looked at him wearily. "You didn't go in my bedroom did you?"

"No?" Freddie replied hesitantly.

Spencer eyed towards his room for a second.

"I didn't go into your bedroom," he spoke in a strange mix of humor and determination.

Spencer shook his head. "Okay, what do you need to ask me?"

Freddie tilted his head side to side for a few times before nervously stating, "I know you're not thrilled with the wedding—"

"I'm not," he replied in a dry tone.

Freddie shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "Yeah, but I was wondering… I was hoping that you would be my best man anyway."

"What?" Spencer blinked in response.

"I want you to be my best man," Freddie repeated calmly.

"Me be your best man?" the artist asked in a higher than normal pitch voice and palming his on chest with a hand. "What about Gibby or Brad or Shane?"

"You're the one that's been there the most for me Spencer and I wouldn't want anyone else to be there for me."

Spencer let out a surprised breath, "Wow, ah… I don't know what to say Freddie."

"You could say yes?" he asked with obvious hope in his voice.

Spencer looked to the floor for a moment and took a hard look at the floor as he thought about it. He looked back up to Freddie with a look of seriousness that Freddie had rarely seen. "You're going to do right by my sister, right? My dad thinks so, but I need to hear it from you."

Freddie took a deep breath then replied, "To my dying breath."

Spencer seemed to stand up straighter. In a more lighthearted tone he replied, "Okay… I'll be your best man."

Freddie let out another nervous breath and smiled at Spencer. "Thank you."

Spencer laughed and replied, "No problem bro."

Dorfman Residence  
>Late July, 1980<p>

Taylor led the raven haired girl up the three flights of stairs after telling her that she wanted to show her something. The brunette led her inside the loft and to her private world. Ruby stood there in muted shock at the scene. She slowly started walking and was amazed at seeing all the artwork in one place: painting, sketches, sculptures, and ceramics. There was enough to fill an entire floor of an art museum and they were all good to Ruby's eyes. _The odd little artist had some skills. She should be teaching the art classes_, she thought as a particular painting caught her eye. It was of fire and brimstone and all the tropes of Hell with creatures and monstrosities that would give anyone pause. The idea that someone so sweet and kind could paint something so horrifically vividly astonished her and if she looked at it long enough, would probably give her nightmares.

"You did this one?"

She nodded with a fearful expression. "Yes… I was trying to express… people's primal fears and put them in one spot. I put the scary things there; they did what I want, not get to tell me how to live my life. I rule over my fears, not the other way around."

"So they're trapped on the canvas?"

"And they can't hurt me… except one fear I had after I painted it, but Steven conquered that fear."

"What was that? If I may ask?"

Taylor smiled, "He didn't run away."

Ruby chuckled at that for a moment before continuing down a row looking at all the other work Taylor had created over the years. Something caught her attention of a painting easel with a large white sheet over it. Curiosity got the best of her and she gently lifted the sheet to see what was underneath it. She got a good few second look at the picture before she heard a shout, "Don't look at that!"

Ruby lowered the sheet and took a step back in shocked at the anger in the brunette teenager's voice. "I'm sorry."

Taylor walked over and adjusted the sheet back. "It's private," she whispered fearfully.

"I'm sorry Taylor. A sheet over a painting makes people curious."

"Well… it's still private," she replied in a hurt tone.

"So this is what you've been working on?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow.

Ruby shrugged a shoulder, "Steven mentioned you were working on something that was taking all of your time."

"Yes it has," she replied as she continued to mess with the sheet even if it was back to its proper place.

"Who's the girl in the painting?"

Taylor looked down to her feet and watched her toes wiggle through her socks. "You'd think I'm crazy," she whispered sadly.

Ruby shook her head even if Taylor wasn't facing her. "I wouldn't think you're crazy."

"Then people would think you're crazy for believing me."

"No one has to know outside of this room."

She turned and faced her new friend. "You can't tell Steven."

Ruby blinked at the condition. She had seen from a distance how they had become so close in the three months they had been together and for her to want to keep a secret from Steven seemed a little hard to fathom, especially in light of how accepting he had been of the artist.

"Okay, I won't tell Steven," she tried to reassure her.

Taylor swallowed nervously before replying, "I had a dream at the end of our first week together… I dreamed about her, the girl in the picture. She's… she's my daughter or will be…"

"Your… daughter?"

She nodded. "Her name is Carlotta and that's what she looks like in two thousand and eleven."

"I…" she paused with she saw Taylor's sad eyes expecting her to say something hurtful. "I see a lot of Steven in her," Ruby replied with a warm smile.

Taylor hesitantly smiled. "And she has my mother's eyes."

Ruby grinned and felt some of the heartache leave at seeing the shorter girl so happy. "Steven is going to be very happy when she's born."

"So will I."

* * *

><p>It was approaching midnight and Taylor was sitting in the same spot on the couch she had earlier in the afternoon, but this time Ruby's head was resting on her lap as she had fallen asleep watching <em>The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson<em>. She looked to Steven (finally having switched into some shorts and a white undershirt) who was sitting on the floor in front of them with his back against the couch and laughing at a joke that Johnny had just made on the screen between bites of popcorn.

She reached over and stroked the top of his head gently, avoiding the area where the mean girl had pulled on his hair and whispered, "I love you."

He turned his head and smiled up at her. "I love you too cupcake."

She smiled back at him then they both turned their attention back to the television. The brunette looked down at the sleeping girl in her lap and gently brushed her loose hair with her fingertips. She continued to smile and whispered, "And I love you too my scary friend."

Taylor looked back at the large television screen and smiled to herself. It wasn't how she had expected her afternoon and night to turn out, but the end result was the same: she was truly happy.

Shay Apartment  
>Wednesday February 22, 2012<p>

Brad was standing at Freddie's tech-cart going over a checklist for the necessary material they would need for next iCarly for next Friday. The work had been distracting enough since he felt that Sam had been avoiding him over the last few days. It could have easily been his imagination since they really didn't hang out anyway on the weekends and he usually didn't start until Tuesday, but she and Carly had been out for something important yesterday.

He was so concentrating on his task at hand that he barely heard the door open to the studio. When he heard the footsteps enter the room from behind him, he turned to see Sam's awkward smile.

"Hey," Sam greeted the blonde hesitantly as she shut the door behind her.

"Hi," he replied hesitantly.

She walked up to him and stood beside him; close enough to violate his personal space, but was not complaining. "So what'cha doing?"

He motioned his head to the laptop and replied, "Just going over what we need for next week and about to start placing the orders."

She looked to the screen and saw the extensive list she and Carly had given him. They didn't tell him that it was actually for the next three shows, but if he went ahead and got everything, Sam thought he wouldn't mind the lighter work for the next couple of weeks. She especially didn't mind if it gave him more time for… well causally hanging out. Carly had just smiled and nodded her head at the suggestion.

Brad looked back to the screen and started typing beginning his ordering of some of the items and commented casually, "Missed you yesterday."

Sam looked up slightly to meet his eyes, but he continued to focus on the screen. She spoke anyway, "Oh, ah… didn't Carly tell you?"

"Only that you two had to go out for something."

She grinned devilishly at him. "Do you want to know?"

He pulled his eyes away from the screen and met her eyes that seemed to promise something mischievous. "Only if you want to," he replied with a brief smile.

She grinned at him and laughed. "Give me a minute and I'll show you what we were doing." She turned around and headed out the studio door before Brad could say a word.

The minutes ticked by as he waited patiently for her to return. His curiosity was through the roof on what she was doing so she could explain where she and Carly had been yesterday. So much so, that he stopped what he was doing just to see her come back through the door. His patients was rewarded a minute or so later when the studio door opened and Sam stepped through the threshold.

Brad just blinked at seeing her in her marine colored strapless bridesmaid dress.

Sam smiled awkwardly at his stun expression. "Carly's dress came in early, so we went out and picked up the bridesmaid ones as well. This one's mine," she shrugged a bare shoulder trying to hide her nervousness as he looked at her.

"Wow," he whispered in awe looking at Sam as she anxious shifted her weight back and forth on her feet.

She swallowed nervously and looked down at the hardwood floor of the studio. "So, you like it?"

He whispered, "You look beautiful Sam."

She lifted her head to speak, but couldn't speak as Brad had caught lips. She eyes opened wide for a moment shocked that he closed the distance that quickly then closed her eyes slowly as she realized that he seemed to be pretty good. The blonde was surprised at his soft and tender movements with his lips. It felt strangely different than any other kiss she had in the past, but she had limited experience in that area. After a few more seconds, he pulled back to look at her, but her eyes were still closed.

Once she opened her eyes and met his comforting gaze. She tried several times to clear her throat to speak, but his smile and look at her were quite distracting for her. She finally found her voice and said the first thing that popped into her head, "I should smack you for that."

He grinned back and replied, "You could give me my kiss back again instead."

She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and rested her arms on his shoulders. He snaked his hands around to the small of her back and across the silky charmeuse material. Sam smiled. "I could?" She leaned forward and caught his lips.

Dorfman Residence  
>Early December 1980<p>

The summer heat had slowly given way to the brisk winds of fall with the changing of the leaves then to the colder temperatures of winter. Life went on for the people of 1980: the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals for the World Series; Ronald Reagan became President of the United States; people finally found out who shot J.R. and John Lennon tragically lost his life just days ago from their point of view (Taylor had cried for hours after hearing the news).

Life went on for Steven, Taylor and Ruby as their senior year of high school continued without much incident.

Steven had meant what he said of washing his hands of his former friends and associates. He didn't associate with them and no one got in his way. They realized it could be far too painful and hazardous to their health. He surprised the school administers with taking upper classes in math and science and surprising a few, but not others when he made a comeback to his grades. He had come back strong and found a drive he had lost more than a year ago. However, he still hadn't cut his hair and had no plans to in the near future; it was just too long and voluminous.

Ruby took the same approach with her former friends and associates. She realized who stood by her and who had abandoned her. She wasn't in the same clique anymore, but she had kept her style and was still an alpha female. The rest of the girls (and guys) at school did not forget her position. The raven haired beauty was not to be trifled with, especially after word got out of what happened to Glenn over the summer.

Taylor continued to be Taylor for the most part: the quiet artist that would make her artwork without being bothered by anyone. However, she gained a real female friend, though was quite different in disposition and outlook on life, and had become quite dear to her. She also had realized some things as her relationship with Steven continued to progress through the months and that is why she was in her loft about to have the biggest conversation so far in her life.

She was stilling on a stool by the far end window of her art loft as Steven was sitting on another stool facing her. He had a curious, small smile on his face. "So what did you want to ask me?"

She took a deep breath the let it out with a smile.

Steven laughed, "Something big isn't it?"

She nodded, "Yes… I just have all the words I need for this conversation."

Steven blinked and a worried expression formed on his face. "I know this might sound silly, but you're not breaking up with me are you?"

She giggled for a moment before replying, "No, the complete opposite."

"Okay, what's the opposite of breaking up when we're already together?"

"The question I'm going to ask: would you marry me?"

Steven blinked and his mouth slightly opened. "What?"

She smiled happily as she asked again, "Would you marry me?"

Steven gave her a perplexed look because the question was even a little further out than what he had become accustom to over the last several months of being with her. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because I want you to be my husband," she replied as if it was the most obvious answer and he was being silly for not seeing it.

"That's not what I meant," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Then ask the question you want an answer for," she answered with a grin.

Steven blinked and looked to her a little impatiently. "This isn't funny, Taylor."

"Would I joke about something like this? I want us to get married and I want to do it after my birthday."

"Why?"

She replied in a soft tone, "Because I love you and want you to be my husband."

"You already said that," he countered as more irritation slipped into his voice.

"Because you asked me the same question again and my answer is still the same."

Steven palmed his forehead and took a quick breath. "Okay, why do you want to get married this soon?"

"I love you and don't see the need to wait."

In a calmer voice than he felt, he replied, "We're just teenagers."

"So? I already know I love you and you love me. What's going to change? Are you planning to break up with me?"

"No!"

"Then marry me. We're going to be together or we're not."

"You're giving me an ultimatum: I marry you now or we're done?"

"No! I just…" She looked down and palmed her forehead. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. She ran her hand up and took off her bandana.

Steven had picked up over the months that that was her sign of when their conversation was getting serious. The fact that she hadn't pulled it off until now really concerned him. Steven's shoulders sagged as he saw her reaction.

With the grey bandana in her right hand, she looked at him with a fearful expression and replied, "I don't think I have the time to wait to do all the things people are supposed to do in life."

"What do you mean you don't have the time?"

"I… I can't wait because I don't know if I'll have the time… my mom died of leukemia not long after Barry was born and I don't want that to happen to me. I want you as my husband, I want us to live have a happy life and I want to have your children before that can happen to me."

Steven looked to her coldly and replied defiantly, "You don't know that's going to happen to you or to Barry."

"I don't want to take the chance that it won't happen to me."

"So you are proposing to me out of fear?" he snapped back angrily.

"I'm proposing to you because I love you Steven Joseph Shay and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't see the difference in getting married after college and married now. We love each other."

"You know this after dating seven months?"

She replied with a hint of seriousness and determination he had not witnessed before, "I've known that after the first week of knowing you. I was waiting for you to catch up with me. I think we've just taken our time in a hurry."

Steven shook his head and let out a breath. He focused back on her and asked, "Do you realize how much of a loser I am?"

She frowned back at him and her brow furled as she replied, "Don't patronize me Steven. I see a good man trying to be a good man the best way he knows how. When I met you, you were a broken man as Ruby would describe you, but since then you've picked yourself up and pulled yourself back together. A loser doesn't care about a stray little artist when someone hits her, a loser doesn't look out for a picked on boy, and a loser doesn't standby his friend when everyone has abandoned her; so you are certainly no loser."

He stared back and processed all that she has said over the last few minutes. It was a lot to take in and weigh her arguments to what was customary. The small remnant of whatever teachings of his father screamed in his head that what she had proposed was insane and irresponsible, but…

He slowly over to her then knelt down and took her left hand. "I will marry you Taylor Faye Dorfman."

She smiled and brought her right hand up to her mouth. She then leaned down and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and shoulders. She started whispering over and over in his ear, "I love you, I love you, I love you…"

Shay residence  
>Early December 1980<p>

"You can't marry her!" Greg Shay shouted at his son as Steven was packing another suitcase.

The shouting match started as soon as Steven started packing and told his father his plan with Taylor. He knew how his father was going to react and wasn't disappointed. He also knew that he wouldn't be able to stay at home in the mean time before the wedding. Mister Dorfman offered for him to stay in their home during that time and after the marriage; he just had to pay some rent when he could when he helped the old flyer out with work. He was surprisingly supportive of the idea. Steven did wonder why of course, but assumed it was a personal matter between Taylor and her father and he had no intention of getting involved with that matter.

Steven looked over his shoulder as he packed another piece of clothing. "I'm not asking for your permission old man!"

Greg threw up his hands and looked at him as if he was nuts. "You're just both be eighteen! You're too young! You can't tie yourself down like that! She's abnormal. And those Dorfmans are freaks! Even the father, he just hides it better. Those are very good reasons not to marry her."

"I don't care, because I love her!"

Greg let out a dismissive laugh. "You love her?

Steven turned around and stared his father straight in the eyes. "Yes, I love her. She's got my heart dad and you know what? She loves me even if I'm a pathetic excuse as a man. She wants to spend the rest of her life with me and when I really stop and look to the future you've wanted me to do for about a year and a half, I see it with her. We are going to be happy and we are going to have a few kids. I don't know when, but you're going to be a granddad one day. Don't worry, I'll raise them to love you even when I hate you."

Greg blinked and tried to respond as Steven went back to packing his last suitcase. Steven quickly finished and closed it up. He grabbed it and another one in addition to pulling a filled backpack unto his back. He started making his way out of this room and down the stairs carefully, leaving his father in his room for a moment.

His father finally caught up to him in the driveway as Steven was putting his stuff in the back of the pickup truck he had borrowed from Mister Dorfman.

"Don't do this son," he implored with still an angry tint to his tone.

Steven rolled his eyes as opened the door to the truck and hopped into the driver's seat and pulled the door shut.

Mister Shay approached the driver's door and knocked on the window. Steven started rolling the window down and Greg immediately started, "I'm not supporting you if you do this."

"I'll be back for more of my stuff later and after that I'll see you at the wedding dad… if you show up," he replied flippantly as he started the truck. Greg stepped back away from the driver's door and allowed Steven to pull out of the driveway and headed off back to the Dorfmans.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Thursday, February 23, 2012

It was late in the afternoon when Carly opened the door of the apartment. She smiled as she saw her father in jeans and his brown flight jacket standing on the other side of the threshold with a big smile on his face and carrying a large duffle bag and suitcase. "Hey kiddo!"

"Dad!" she shouted and pulled him into a hug.

He dropped the suitcase and hugged her back then lifted her off of her feet for a moment then kissed her forehead. He sat her back on her feet and stepped away. "So big day tomorrow, how do you feel?"

"I feel… a lot."

"That about sums it up," he laughed then picked up his suitcase and fully entered the apartment with Carly shutting the door behind him.

He sat his luggage down and followed his daughter into the living room. They took a seat on the couch and he asked, "So, everything is set for tomorrow?"

"Yes, we have everything and the chapel is ready for tomorrow afternoon. We're just counting down the time."

"That's good to hear. You're going to wear a veil?"

Carly furled her brow at the question and nodded. "Ah, yes. Why?"

Shay chuckled, "Well, I have something to give you if you decide on something different. It belonged to your mother and she wore it on her wedding day and I don't know if you had something borrowed or old as the old tradition goes." He got up and went back to the suitcase and after a few moments of digging, he pulled out a small, square plastic clothes bag. He then handed it to his daughter. "It's wrapped up inside. It's up to you."

Carly held the square bag and looked at it in a vein hope of having X-ray vision to see past the wrapping inside the clear bag. She looked up to her father. "Okay, I'll give it a look."

"Thanks," he replied with a smile. "So, where is your brother?"

"Right here," Spencer called out as he bounced out of his room.

The Air Force General got up from the couch and approached his son. He pulled him into a hug patted his son on the back and greeted, "Good to see you son." He pulled back and took a good look at his energetic son. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"I guess, I'm still nervous about this," he let out a nervous breath.

Shay nodded and gave a small smile. "I'll tell you a secret: your Uncle Barry was just as nervous when I married your mother."

"Being best man really freaked him out?"

Shay shook his head, "Barry was the man of honor."

"What?"

The older Shay laughed, "Your mother's maid of honor was a man of honor; Dorfmans are not traditional, but who am I kidding, I wasn't either that day."

"We are so unconventional dad aren't we?"

Shay shook his head and laughed. "It is all of your mother's doing… far better influence than the Shay side of the family."

A moment or so later, Sam and Brad came walking down the stairs to see about the noise from downstairs.

Shay turned to the pair of teenagers. "Samantha," he greeted warmly, pulling the blonde into a hug.

The blonde hugged back and didn't feel awkward as she did six months ago from the last one. "Hi Mr. Shay," she returned the greeting then pulled away. She motioned to the taller teenage boy standing beside her. "This is Brad, he's my… friend that is a guy?" she looked to Brad with an awkward smile.

He smiled back warmly. "Something like that." He looked back to Shay and spoke, "Nice to meet you sir."

"I'm Brigadier General Steven Shay, US Air Force," he replied in a formal tone as he looked at the teenager in a serious reserved look.

The tall teenager swallowed nervously at the scrutiny. He became even more nervous when Shay smiled at him. "You and I are going to have a talk later young man."

"Ah… yes sir," he replied hesitantly and glanced at Sam. She didn't know how to respond to him other then a perplexed and sympathetic expression.

Shay nodded and grinned. He then looked over to his children and stated, "I'm going to take a quick nap then I'll start on dinner. The Dorfmans should be over in the next few hours and I'll need some rest before fixing them a meal. You know how complicated those meals can get."

Carly spoke up, "Okay dad, we'll keep it quiet for you."

"Thanks cupcake," he replied as he picked up his luggage and headed for the elevator. "Talk to everyone later," he called out as the freight elevator closed.

Brad looked to Sam and whispered, "Dorfmans?"

Sam leaned over and whispered back, "They're Carly and Spencer's uncle, aunt and cousins on their mother's side. They're a little weird; just go with it and no jokes. Mr. Shay will not like that if you do, especially if he wants to talk to you."

"Okay, I'll remember that," he replied and let out a calming laugh.

It was a few minutes later, after Carly went back upstairs, Spencer had retreated to his room, Freddie came down to get a drink and Sam was showing Brad something off TheSlap from the kitchen counter computer, there was another knock on the door. Brad spoke up and said that he would get the door.

He crossed the living room and opened the door. Brad blinked at seeing the teenage blonde in front of him then looked over his shoulder to see Sam behind him still sitting at the counter. He blinked again at Sam then looked at the copy of Sam at the door. He tried to speak, but Sam walked beside him and wrapped an arm around his arm. She gave a quick glance to her sister and explained, "This is my twin sister Melanie."

He raised an eyebrow and looked to Sam and asked astonished, "Twins? You're a twin?"

Freddie shook his head from behind the kitchen counter and shouted, "Twins!"

Sam looked over her shoulder back at the brown eye boy and glared. He just laughed back as the mystery had finally been cleared up and saw both of them in one place.

"Hey, Freddie," Melanie greeted with a wave.

He waved back, "Nice to really meet you."

"Thanks, I'm glad to see you realized we're two different people."

"You're welcome," he replied in a friendly tone.

"You're still adorable," she countered with a playful smile.

Freddie chuckled as he stepped around the counter with a soda in his hand. "Thanks Melanie, but I'm quite taken."

"That's why I'm here to see for myself, but if you ever change your mind…"

Freddie shook his head and smiled. "I hear you." He motioned towards the stairs and said, "I'm going to let Carly know you're here."

She nodded and replied, "Okay." She looked to a still shocked Brad looking back and forth between the sisters as Freddie headed up the stairs.

Brad finally found his voice, "I think I'll finish watching that video of the rapping puppet you were showing me online and let you two catch up."

Sam nodded cautiously and replied, "Okay."

He nodded back and turned to head back for the computer.

The sisters exchanged glances then took a seat on the couch. Melanie immediately eyed Brad as the tall teenager got on the stool and focused his attention on the computer. "He's cute… thinking about sharing him?"

"Not a chance in Hell, Mel," Sam growled at her sister.

"Why not? I can tell he can't tell us apart," the blonde grinned deviously that on any other subject would make Sam proud.

"Not funny sis," Sam glared at her distorted reflection.

Melanie let out a breath, "Fine, he's all yours."

"No chizz, you remember that," she replied in a tone that suggested she wouldn't tolerate any moves on him by her sister.

Melanie held up her hands in surrender. "I will sis, I will."

* * *

><p>It was sometime after dark as Shay was working on a dinner the Dorfmans could eat for this evening. Everyone, whether it was out of courtesy or not having to smell and look at the various foods he had to prepare, Shay had the first floor to himself as he prepared the meal and was grateful for not having any distractions (especially since his son were good at those). He had just finished the green "soup" when he heard several loud knocks from the apartment door. The former flyer opened the apartment door and was greeted with a loud cheer from a familiar face and smiles from three others, "Steven!"<p>

"Barry!" the General shouted back and hugged his brother-in-law. The sandy blonde laughed and hugged back. Shay pulled back to look at his sister-in-law. "Tess, you look well."

"Thanks Steven," she replied with a face splitting grin.

Shay knew it had to be something in the diet that kept them that happy besides Barry natural happy demeanor. Genes alone could not explain the Dorfman children and especially not Tess. He then looked to his niece and nephew, "Faye, Ozzy my man; how are you two doing?"

Faye spoke up, "We're doing great Uncle Steven." As usual, Ozlottis remained silent. It was a trait that Shay had always assumed he got from Taylor of being someone of few words. The brunette looked past Shay and saw Carly coming down the stairs. She ran past the General and pulled Carly into a quick hug and shouted for glee, "I can't believe you're getting married."

The brunette patted her cousin on the back and an embarrassed smile formed on her face from the attention. She looked over Faye's shoulder to see her father and uncle share a laugh at her predicament. "Yep, going to be a bride," she whispered.

Faye pulled back and smiled, "I am so happy for you."

"Thank you Faye," she replied with a warm smile.

"So I really get to be a bridesmaid?"

Carly smile and nodded. "Yes, we picked you up a dress and hoped we guessed your dress size."

Faye clapped her hands. "I can't wait to see it."

Carly raised an eyebrow and motioned up the stairs. "Do you want to go ahead and try it on?"

"I'd love to!" Faye shouted and grabbed Carly by the wrist and pulled her towards the stairs. The brunette laughed at her overjoyed cousin and let her lead the way back to her own room.

It was approaching mid-evening as the extended family and friends were gathered between the kitchen table, the counter that separated the kitchen and living room and the kitchen preparation table. They had shared an odd mix of hesitantly thrown together food and delivered food due to the dietary needs of the Dorfmans.

Barry was laughing as he sat at the end of kitchen table. "True story: Steven was a mess before the wedding."

Shay was sitting at the other end of the table and shook his head.

"He paced back and forth for days. I thought he would wear a hole through the floor in his room. He couldn't tie his own tie before the ceremony," Barry recited the story with a huge grin on his face. The others started laughing softly at imagining the General that young and nervous.

Shay raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair holding a glass of tea. "Who told you that?"

Barry chuckled, "That raven haired beauty you know so well."

"I am so going to get back at her for that," Shay laughed heartily.

"What raven hair girl?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow from the other side of the kitchen counter. A 'raven haired beauty' caught the blonde's attention because it was the first time she had heard of such a woman.

The old flyer smiled warmly, "An old dear friend of mine and Taylor."

Barry asked, "Is she coming?"

Shay took a moment before responding slowly, "We'll see… she lives in L.A. after all and it is very last minute for her."

Spencer spoke up with a knowing smile and looking at his father as he spoke, "Then let's hope she can make it."

Shay's smile left his face and replaced with a perplex look. He was usually able to read his children's true meaning behind a statement because they had inherited so many tale signs from their mother, however, he couldn't read Spencer with that statement.

Barry shared a quick glance with Spencer and lifted his glass and spoke, "Let's hope." His smile fell slightly, "Wait, where did Freddie and Carly go?"

Shay sat up straighter in his chair and looked around his surroundings. The others started looking around and realized that the brunette beauty and her husband to be was nowhere in sight. He looked to Spencer then to Sam and spoke, "You, being the maid of honor and you being the best man, lost the bride and groom?"

Spencer swallowed and nodded nervously. "It would appear so."

Shay shook his head and let out a deep sigh, "Well young man, I suggest you start looking for them."

As Spencer and Sam scurried off to look for the pair, Shay smiled and whispered to himself, "This is too easy."

* * *

><p>The soon to be wed couple decided to hold up in the one place in the apartment no one would look for them. However, that was assuming they had any sense <em>not<em> to look for them in this room. The pair was hiding out in General Shay's room, sitting on the bed watching the last analogue television in the apartment. For some reason as they flipped through the channels, it stopped on the Animal Channel. Elephant Love had just went off Horse Love just started to air.

They were sitting on the bed with Freddie sitting behind Carly and resting his chin on her shoulder and his arm resting around her waist. Freddie tried his best to hold back a laugh at seeing how much Carly blushed at watching the programs. Her physically reaction was still good naturally humorous to him about how innocent she still reacted about the subject. He wasn't an expert on the subject either. All he knew was from reading his mother's medical texts and journal articles, because she had been so hesitant about even talking about the subject other the bare necessities and waiting until marriage.

He realized that maybe this was the best time to talk about the subject since the wedding was tomorrow and this would probably be the last they talked privately until after the wedding and he didn't want to have the conversation before that night.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," he whispered into her ear.

She turned her head to meet his eyes. "What?"

He looked warmly at her and stated, "Tomorrow night, we don't have to just because we'd be married."

She loosened from his grip and turned around sitting on her legs and faced him. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're so uncomfortable about… _it_," he emphasized. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to just because we're married… it's okay to be scared… I'm scared too."

She blinked and looked to him in astonishment. "You're scared?"

He swallowed nervously. "You know that teenage guys are supposed to be all… ready to go and would be stupid to pass up the chance, but…"

"What?"

He rested his hands on her hips and whispered, "You're my Carly and it just isn't that simple. It has never been about that with you even if… I sometimes I have dreamed about you and I that way."

They both blushed at that statement, but Freddie continued on, "I've always loved you for you since the day I met you. Sharing… _that_ with you would mean a lot to me, but just being with you is enough for me if you're not ready and… I don't want to hurt you."

She took a deep breath from his statement and stared into those soft brown eyes showing his own apprehension about tomorrow night. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck and pulled him towards her. She closed her eyes and whispered in his ear, "Thank you for understanding, but… you'll keep me safe and I'll keep you safe and tomorrow night will be very special for both of us because we will be with the one we love the most and feel the safest with."

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered back, "I love you Carly."

"I love you, too," she whispered back then kissed his temple softly.

Early January 1981

The wedding party had already arrived at the small chapel and the bride and groom were going over last minute inspections for the ceremony. Steven was in a small room of the church and looked at the full size mirror seeing his reflection in his black suit with his hands in his pockets. He had failed several times to tie his neck tie. The only noise in the room was a wall clock clicking away at the seconds. The wedding was in less than fifteen minutes, but he was still standing there thinking about everything that had happened in his life to get to this point. It was going to be a new beginning to his life that he was going to be sharing with someone that loved him for him and for what he could be in the future.

A loud knock echoed into the room from the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," Steven shouted back not taking his eyes off the mirror.

The door opened and a raven haired teenager entered the room. Her hair was up in a bun behind her head and curled hair ringlets on either side of her face. She wore a black strapless dress that showed just a hint of cleavage with a dropped princess waist, and a tea-length full skirt. Of course she stood out against the bridesmaid in her white and lavender dresses with puffy shoulders, but then again, she wasn't a bridesmaid. "You're going to be late for your own wedding," she complained as she walked around to get between him and the mirror.

"I can't get my tie right," Steven complained flippantly avoiding eye contact with her.

Ruby let out an annoyed breath and shook her head. She began tying his tie for him. "Nervous?" Ruby asked with a wicked smile.

Steven grinned meeting her eyes, "Terrified."

Ruby smiled back. "You'll be fine. When the preacher asks you if you will take Taylor to be your wife, you say 'yes' and when he says to kiss the bride, you kiss her. Got it?"

Steven snorted out a laugh. "What would I do without you to tell me these things?"

She laughed back as she finished tying the black tie and adjusting his collar. "Let's hope you never have to find out."

Steven smiled briefly then looked to her seriously. "I love you Ruby."

That got her attention away from his collar, but she was not surprised in the least by his statement.

He continued when their eyes met. "Thank you for always being there for me… for sticking by me when… when everything went to Hell for me… with me."

She nodded her head and gave him a small, warm smile. She dropped her hands from around his neck. "Well I love you too and you're welcome… I'm always going to look out for you. That's what friends are for. Now if you're finished being all mushy, you have to get to your wedding."

Steven grinned. "Lead the way my best man."

"Funny," she replied with a grin as she led the way out of the room and into the chapel.

Steven was nervously shifting from foot to foot as he waited at the end of the chapel with Ruby by his side. Barry was standing on the other side with one of his and Taylor's female cousins. The white haired pastor smiled patiently at the young man as they waited on the bride to come done the aisle. It was a small wedding party with a handful of family from the bride and groom. Steven's grandmother and grandfather Shay sat with his father on one side of the church. On the other side sat some of Taylor's extended family, specifically Mr. Dorfman's sister, her husband and their children (the Valentines, if Steven remembered correctly), since Barry was the Man of Honor for Taylor and Mr. Dorfman was going to walk his daughter down the aisle.

A few moments passed then the traditional music started to play. The long haired teenager turned to look at the end of the church to see the bride. Steven could see her smile even from the other end of the chapel as she was led down the aisle by her father. The old war vet had a beaming smile on his face as he walked with his daughter. She wore a pure white bandana with gold trim embroidered around the broader. She wore a full length, chiffon strapless white dress with a twist drape bodice. On her wrist, she was wearing the diamond encrusted watch that his grandmother had given to Taylor. It was her way of welcoming her into the family even if her son was not thrilled with the marriage.

Once she reached her place beside him, Mr. Dorfman took a step back and a seat in the first row. The couple then exchanged smiles and looked to the pastor.

He gave a brief nod and smiled to them. He looked at the gathered attending, "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two individuals in holy matrimony. Although young, these two have realized that they wished to spend the rest of their lives together and we should all be blessed to be in the presence of such love."

He then looked to the couple. "The rings please."

Ruby gave a nod and handed Steven the ring. He nodded back and looked to his bride. Steven slipped the wedding band on her finger and echoed the pastor, "I, Steven Joseph Shay, take thee, Taylor Faye Dorfman to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, I pledge to you."

Ruby handed the brunette the ring and smiled back at her friend. Taylor turned her attention back to Steven then slipped his wedding band on his finger and repeated the pastor's recitation, "I, Taylor Faye Dorfman, take thee, Steven Joseph Shay to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, I pledge to you."

The pastor smile and looked to the gathering, "If anyone can show just cause that these two should not get married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Steven stiffened as he wondered if his father would say anything. He glanced over to see that Mr. Dorfman was staring with daggers in his eyes at Greg Shay, daring the man to say something. Fortunately, Greg kept his mouth shut for health reasons.

The pastor smiled and finished, "Then if there are no objections, I know pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the—"

Taylor didn't wait and lifted her head and leaned forward to kiss her taller husband. Steven was only caught off guard for a moment, but leaned back into the kiss.

Ruby shook her head and held back a laugh. Barry blinked in surprise and Mr. Dorfman let out a hardy laugh. Mr. Shay didn't look thrilled, but didn't look all that upset.

The pair pulled back and Steven whispered, "You don't waste any time?"

"Just taking my time in a hurry," she whispered back with a grin.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Seattle Church of Christ  
>2555 8th Avenue West<br>Seattle, WA  
>Friday, February 24, 2012<p>

Freddie had been in a strange sense of detachment to the world throughout the school day just waiting for this afternoon. They could have ditched school for the day, but they didn't want even a hint of anything different happening today to raise suspicions of people. The only thing he did notice was that Wendy would eye him occasionally if he passed her in the halls or class. He really didn't know what to make of it, but really didn't give it much of a passing thought as he had a far more important matter on his mind.

The school day had thankfully finally ended and he was now standing in front of the mirror double checking himself before the wedding. Since the wedding wasn't traditional and wasn't going to be formal, but semi-formal, he was in a nice black suit that fit him far better then the last tux he wore. Also, if he didn't look too bad in if he said so himself.

To say that it had been a long hard road to get to this place would be an understatement as he thought back on how he got to this moment. He had spent years pining over having a chance with Carly, nearly died for her, let her go and watch her chase after other guys until she realized the one for her was standing there all along after there biggest fight and a helpful dream, but it seemed that his greatest obstacle facing him now was his black necktie giving him fits.

"You nervous?" a voice called out from behind him.

Freddie turned around still fighting with his tie to see General Shay peaking his head through the gap in the open door and door frame.

"I'm terrified," Freddie laughed, "but I can't wait, even if this necktie wants to get in my way."

Shay pushed open the door and stepped into the room still in his jeans and flight jacket. He grinned as he replied to his future son-in-law, "So was I, but I had my best friend there to help me. Why isn't Spencer or Brad or did I see Mr. Gibson running around in here helping you out?"

"Just needed a moment to myself since this is it," he replied letting out a tired breath. "I'm just… wow, I never thought I'd get to this point in my life. It's like a dream."

Shay chuckled softly as he stepped to the teenager and undid the tie and quickly retied it properly, "As Taylor told me one time, life could be but a dream, but even if it is, the important thing to remember is that this is the end of one journey and the beginning of another… a lifelong journey. It will be a long and happy one for you two and you'll enjoy the bumps in the road." He then gave a pat on a shoulder to the brown haired teenager.

He nodded in reply with a smile. "I'll remember that."

Shay let out a relieved breath, "Well, I need to get ready myself. Are you going to be okay for the next half hour?"

"Yes sir," he gave a small laugh that calmed his nerves.

Shay smiled and slightly nodded to him, "Okay, I'll see you soon son."

Freddie smiled and nodded, "Thanks dad."

The General turned and headed out of the room leaving the teenager to enjoy and endure a few more minutes of bachelorhood.

* * *

><p>Carly was taking one last look in the mirror before putting she went out to meet her father to lead her down the aisle. Her breath caught as she looked in the mirror realizing once again that this was all real and happening. "This is really happening?"<p>

Sam smiled as she, in her marine (and slightly wrinkled) dress, stood behind the brunette and replied, "Yes it is cupcake."

Carly continued to look at her reflection as she replied, "It's the strangest feeling Sam. I'm terrified, but… I can't wait. I don't know how else to describe it."

In a quiet, childlike whisper, she asked, "Is that what being in love is all about?"

A smile formed on her pink lips as she turned around to face her blonde haired best friend. "A little bit, but there's a lot more that I would know where to begin in describing the feeling."

Sam let out a soft laugh. "I'm happy for you Carls. I really am, no matter what I have ever said about love or to Freddie when it came to loving you, I was wrong and seeing you like this, I couldn't be happier."

Carly closed the distance between Sam and hugged the shorter girl. "Thank you Sam."

"You're welcome kiddo. Are you ready to go?"

She nodded back nervously and replied, "I think so. How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Sam replied with a smile.

"Thank you, you do too, but…" she hesitated as she looked at Sam 'all dolled up' in her marine dress and blonde curls rested gently on her shoulders.

"What?" the blonde asked curiously looking down at her dress and appearance.

Carly licked her lips as she looked Sam up and down and slowly asked, "Why is your dress so wrinkled?"

"Ah… I made out with Brad with it on," she replied with a rare guilty look on her face.

Carly blinked and gapped her mouth open and shut a few times. "When? Before you came in here?"

"No, Wednesday night. He said he kind of missed me on Tuesday and didn't know what exactly you and I were doing, so I showed him. He said I looked beautiful and before I could say anything, he kissed me. I kind of liked it, so we started… you know."

"Wednesday? I didn't realize that's how you started your relationship," the brunette replied even more surprised if that was possible.

"Relationship? We're just…" She stopped when Carly tilted her head to the side and gave her a look of 'are you kidding'. Sam sighed loudly then rolled her eyes. "We're something and we're going to take our time because… I'm abrasive and he's patient and well… we kind of like each other. We're going to see where it goes."

Carly raised a finger and spoke softly. "Okay… anything I can do to help, just ask. Okay?"

"I will, but we need to focus back onto your love life. You can't keep the groom waiting, even if it is Freddie," she laughed as she finished.

The brunette shook her head with a smile on her face. "Okay, just one last thing." She looked to the table at that last thing she had to put on before starting the rest of her life.

* * *

><p>Brigadier General Steven Shay looked at the full size mirror seeing his reflection in his Service Dress Uniform. He had failed several times to tie his neck tie, but couldn't understand why. The irony was not lost on him after helping his future son-in-law's with his just like Ruby had helped him thirty-one years ago. He had been tying his blue tie for almost five months wearing Service Dress at the Pentagon. The wedding was in less than fifteen minutes and was reminded of that fact as the only noise in the room was a wall clock clicking away at the seconds, but he was still standing there thinking about everything that had happened to get to this point: a little whelp of a kid falling in love with his daughter, following her around like a puppy dog, becoming friends, eventually Freddie saving her life then letting go of her when being with her was the one thing he wanted to do in the world, struggling through a year and a half without an answer, getting an answer that tore them apart just to come back together stronger than ever, her falling completely in love with him, holding strong in a relationship and now wanting to spend the rest of their lives with one another.<p>

A loud knock echoed into the room from the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," Shay shouted back not taking his eyes off the mirror.

The door opened and a raven haired woman in her late forties, but didn't look it, entered the room. She had a slightly pale complexion and her hair was down and slightly curved as it fell on her shoulders and behind her back. She wore a black strapless dress that showed just a hint of cleavage, empire waistline and an A-line style skirt coming down to just above her knees. She was still as beautiful to Shay's eyes as the day he met her, even when she had the pigtails at seven. "You're going to be late for your own daughter's wedding," she complained as she walked around to get between him and the mirror.

Shay smiled at his long time friend and repeated what he said to her more than thirty years ago, "I can't get my tie right."

The raven haired woman smirked at him and shook her head as she began tying his tie for him. The sight of the lack of her old wedding band still stung at him as a reminder of the pain he felt for her when she had to go through her messy divorce years ago. However, Shay made sure that she got the better end of the deal and her ex didn't walk away without it costing him. She asked pulling him from his thoughts, "Nervous?"

Shay grinned. "Terrified."

Ruby finished his tie and straightened his collar. "When the preacher asks, 'Who is giving away the bride?' you say 'I am'. You'll be fine."

"I think I can do that… thanks for being here," he whispered warmly.

She chuckled as she lowered her hands. "What? And miss your and Taylor's little girl's wedding. Shame on you Stevie for thinking such a thing; I guess Carlotta wanted to start early like her mother."

"I guess she does… doesn't make me any less afraid."

She laughed softly, "When have you let fear get in your way?"

Shay smiled warmly to her.

"That's what I thought _General_ Shay," she smirked and patted his chest over his Command Pilot wings, Master Parachutist badge and ribbons. "Now, you got to get out there and give your daughter away."

"Okay," Shay smiled and offered his arm to her and she gracefully took it. As he led her out of the room and to the small chapel he asked, "So, was Jadelyn able to make it or did she have to stay for her school production?"

* * *

><p>As the pair made their way to the nave of the church, they met up with a very nervous Mrs. Benson just outside the doors. Shay smiled at the apprehensive brunetteredhead. "Marissa, I see you made it."

She gave a nervous laugh. "I can't miss my son's wedding."

"Glad to hear it… if you mean to celebrate it with him," he replied with a soft smile. His smile faded as he focused on the nurse. "However, I will not let you disrupt this wedding. Is that understood?"

Marissa shut her mouth for a moment as she met the General's eyes. She realized very quickly that this could become their greatest and last argument about parenting, but she had other plans. "I'm here for my son and to see him be happy."

Shay nodded cautiously. He looked to Ruby by his side with a small smile then back to Marissa. The raven haired woman smiled at Mrs. Benson and spoke, "I'm Ruby, a very old family friend."

The Benson matriarch smiled back, "Marissa Benson. It's nice to meet you." She glanced at the pair and smiled, "Well, I need to take my seat; mother of the groom and all."

Shay gave a warmer smile. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Marissa nodded once, and then turned to slip into the nave.

Shay let out a breath and looked to Ruby. She grinned and shook her head.

"What?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Lord help you Stevie with her as an in-law."

"I don't know if He'll be helping out today," he whispered coldly looking past her and into the entrance of the church.

Ruby raised an eyebrow then turned her head to see what caught his attention. She assumed whatever Shay was feeling, it was the same as she with her own apprehension.

Shay detangled from Ruby's arm and approached his father. "Hi dad."

"Steven," he returned the greeting with a muted smile and nod. "So the wedding is still on?"

Shay let out a breath letting the last of his vain hope that his father had changed his mind after the nearly hour long shouting match they had earlier in the day about the marriage. His father repeated almost word for word the arguments he used against his son just over thirty years ago when he accepted Taylor's marriage proposal. Shay knew it was a long shot to convince him that it was acceptable when he picked up the phone and let his father know that the wedding was going to be that afternoon, but he had to keep his word about not raising his children to hate their granddad and give the chance to the old man to step up and be there for his granddaughter.

Shay took a step closer to his father and whispered, "I'm going to say this once dad: if you object, you and I are done. I will let you live your life alone and die alone just like I'm going to die alone. Do you understand me father? I put my children before you."

Granddad Shay cleared his throat as he stared back at his son. "I understand, but this is still wrong."

Shay snorted out a laugh. "Then I guess you'll enjoy the 'I told you so' all the more."

"Is this your way of making it up to her for not being there?"

Shay chuckled, "There is nothing I can do to make up for not being there physically and I would be a fool to try. However, there is one important trait that we Shays are bad at, but she inherited from her Dorfman side that I didn't deserve."

"What's that?"

"Forgiveness," he whispered.

Granddad Shay blinked and tried to speak, but Shay spoke up, "I have a wedding to get to; we can fight it out another time."

Shay turned back and approached Ruby, leaving his father behind him dumbfounded. However, Spencer came sprinting out of nowhere getting between the old friends.

Spencer smiled to Ruby, and breathed out trying to catch his breath, "Hey Aunt Ruby."

The raven haired woman hugged the tall artist and replied, "Hi little Spencer, it's good to see you."

He pulled back and smiled then turned to his father with a nervous grin. "Dad, ah… I don't know how to say this, but…"

Shay didn't bat an eye. "You forgot the rings didn't you?"

Spencer laughed nervously, "Ah… yeah."

Shay sighed and shook his head for a moment. After a moment or so of thinking, Shay pulled his tie loose and unbuttoned his collar. "Hold out both your hands Spencer."

The artist immediately complied.

Shay lifted off a silver necklace from around his neck and there was a gold band that the necklace looped through. He undid the clasps and let the ring drop in Spencer's left hand. "That one is for Carly." He then looked to his left hand and after a moment of hesitation, took his own wedding band off and dropped it in his son's right hand. "That one is for Freddie."

He looked Spencer in the eye and whispered, "They are loaners."

Spencer swallowed nervously and nodded. "Okay."

He then waved off his son, "Now go on."

Spencer closed his fists and nodded before taking off and slipping past the doors.

Shay looked to Ruby and asked, "Can you fix my tie?"

She just grinned then proceeded to fix his collar and tie.

* * *

><p>Freddie was terrified as he waited at the alter waiting with Spencer at his side and Sam, Melanie and Faye standing on Carly's side. His mother was on one side of the front pews with Brad and Gibby sitting behind her and on the other side a quite beautiful raven haired woman that he didn't recognized. He assumed she was with General Shay since she was sitting on the bride's side.<p>

The waiting was finally open when the doors to the end of the nave opened. Freddie took a deep breath when he saw her at the end of the aisle and she smiled to him. She wore a simple strapless white lace dress with a white ribbon around her waist and a bubble hem that reached just above her knees. Instead of a veil, she wore a white bandana with a gold embroidered trimming tied around her hair that was resting on her bare shoulders. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and doubted anything in his life would ever compare.

His eyes never left her as General Shay escorted his daughter down the aisle. Soon the General parted ways with his daughter and took a seat beside the raven haired woman. Freddie smiled to Carly as she took her final step to stand beside him. She gave him one last passing glance then they looked to the pastor holding a book of prayers.

She was a quite lovely looking African-American woman in her late twenties and wore her traditional robes for a marriage ceremony. She smiled to the couple and began, "We are gathered here today, to join this woman, Carlotta Shay, and this man, Fredward Benson, together in holy matrimony. I've been told that it has been a hard and difficult road for you, but through the trials and tribulations, you have reached this point of your own freewill and with that freewill you will each have decide if you wish to continue that road together as husband and wife."

Pastor Stevens looked to Spencer and asked, "The rings please."

The artist nodded and handed the first gold band to Freddie, who warmly accepted it with a smile.

"If you would both repeat after me," she instructed with a warm smile. She began reciting the vows, and Freddie began to repeat them looking straight at Carly and sliding the ring on her finger, "I, Fredward Karl Benson, take thee, Carlotta Taylor Shay to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, I pledge to you."

Carly bit her lip and let a tear roll down her cheek. She took a ring from Sam and took a breath. She slide the somewhat loose ring onto Freddie's finger and repeated, "I, Carlotta Taylor Shay, take thee, Fredward Karl Benson to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part, I pledge to you."

Pastor Stevens smiled and looked to the mostly empty church and stated, "If anyone can show just cause as to why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold his or her peace."

Shay clenched his teeth expecting his father to speak or maybe even Marissa, but the church remained quiet.

"You may kiss the bride," the pastor announced with a smile.

Carly wrapped her arms around the back of Freddie's neck and pulled him into a kiss. He gently took her by the hips and returned the kiss. It was a short kiss, but warm and soft and the promise that it wouldn't be the last, but the beginning of a new life together.

**Author's Note: Wow, that was a lot. Two marriages for the price of one. History does seem to repeat itself and I have finally gave the last piece of a puzzle I've been trying to drop hints with since iGet My (Second) Chance in regards to one character. Special Guest Appearance by Jennifer Connelly as Ruby Lyn West**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: This is it. The final chapters of this story and this trilogy of stories that started with iCarly's Father graciously posted by Snapplelinz for me. I hope you've enjoyed the journey with Creddie and a few others on the way. I'll tell you a little secret: their story isn't over yet after this. I have a story after this one for them. I'll tell you about it after you finish this story. Happy reading.**

Chapter 20

Shay Apartment  
>Friday, February 24, 2012<p>

It was approaching seven that night as a number of teenagers were mingling through out the first floor of the apartment listening to music and snacking from the various foods left out. The couch, coffee table and two side stands at either end of the couch and been moved out of the room, leaving a large area to conjugate. None of them really knew why there was a party at the Shays, especially on a Friday when most of them would be at home watching tonight's iCarly before heading out for the night or following whatever plans they had for the night. However, Sam had spread the word through the week about the party at the Shays and that they should show up.

So a number showed up due to a combination of the good times they had at other Shay parties, nothing better to do that night and not being able to tell Sam no (except ironically Freddie, but no one had to courage to do what he did in enforcing a position of no). What surprised most was that even Principle Franklin showed up with his children, but having the principle of the school didn't damper anyone's partying spirit. There were a few other people that none of them recognized: a couple that smiled way too much and apparently their daughter and son; an older gentleman in glasses with a pretty sour expression and finally an attractive raven haired woman that the older teenage guys kept trying to steal a glimpse of her legs and cleavage as she sat in one of the stools at the kitchen counter.

Sam came walking down the stairs still in her bridesmaid dress with General Shay in his Service Uniform at her side. Their appearance caught the attention of the mingling teenagers. Sam shouted out, "Listen up!"

Shay began in a serious tone that demanded respect from those in attendance, "As some of you know and others don't, I'm Brigadier General Shay, Spencer and Carly's father. I'd like to welcome you into [I]my[/I] home and remind you that a certain level of behavior is expect of you if you are to enjoy the party… you are going to keep your shirt on Mister Gibson. I would also like to apologize for inviting you here under false pretenses, but this isn't just a party… this is the wedding reception for Mister Freddie Benson and Mrs. Carly Shay-Benson."

The gathered teenagers looked in absolute shock at his statement and it went deeper as Sam and Shay each took the last few steps down the stairs and stepped aside for Freddie and Carly to come walking down the steps in their wedding attire.

"Oh my God," Kathy whispered then her mouth continued to stay open in shock. However, there was a shout of joy further back and Wendy shouted, "I knew it!" She then started cheering and soon the rest started cheering on the couple.

Carly looked down embarrassed, but Freddie grinned and kissed her cheek. "Shay-Benson, huh?" he whispered into her ear.

She giggled and whispered back, "We've always met half-way, I think it works."

"It does Carls," he was able to whisper out just before a number of girls surrounded the pair.

They all started asking various questions at once: "Are you actually married? You're just seventeen, how could you get married? Are you pregnant? How did Freddie ask? Where's the engagement ring?"

Carly spoke up, "Calm down, one question at a time: Yes; dad gave me his permission; no; he didn't, I asked him; and I wore it as a necklace. Now let's party!"

Wendy asked with a grin, "You asked him? When?"

"Valentine's Day," she replied as she led the girls to table of various drinks and snacks.

"Wait?" Kathy spoke up. "You went from proposal to marriage in a week and a half?"

Carly grinned, "Yes."

In the haste to answer the girls' questions, Shane was able to grab Freddie by a shoulder and pull him away for the crowd. Shane patted the same shoulder. "I can't believe it man, you're actually married?"

Freddie laughed. "Yes I am and it is great."

Shawn whispered in surprise apparently hearing Carly's answer, "She really asked you?"

"Yes, she did," he replied turning to his fellow Mathlete.

Shane laughed and asked, "You know you're supposed to ask her, right?"

Freddie smirked and shrugged a shoulder. "Whatever man, I got the ring on my finger. That's what matters."

"You should have told us, we could have had one wild bachelor party," the taller boy joked.

Freddie shook his head. "And blow my chance with being with Carly? You can forget that Shane, besides, we needed to keep it a secret."

Shane shook his head and raised his plastic red cup. "Spoil all the fun Benson."

* * *

><p>It was a few minutes later after acknowledging a series of congratulations and consoling a number of heartbroken girls (including Faye), Freddie finally made it to the drink table and poured himself some Wahoo punch. Gibby approached behind him and complained with a little bit of hurt and disgust, "I can't believe you told Brad, but not me."<p>

Freddie turned around and shook his head. "Gibby, we were keeping it a secret from everyone, Brad just happened to find out."

"Still man…"

"Whatever man. This is my wedding day and I'm not going to bother having this argument with you. We'll take it up some other time if you want to, but for right now, don't start with me. Enjoy the party or go home," Freddie flippantly told him then took a sip of his drink.

Gibby was kind of shocked by the response, but didn't have a chance to respond as they heard call out, "Picture time!"

Shane announced as he brought out his camera that Sam had specifically told him to bring for the night.

Freddie walked away and approached Shane with Carly meeting her husband from the other side of the room. Shane began what would become a long night of taking picture after picture of the couple, them singular, with family and friends and of the guests throughout the night.

* * *

><p>Freddie took a moment to processes all that had happened over the last few hours as he watched his classmates celebrate his marriage. The day was just getting better, if that was possible after the marriage ceremony itself. Shay slipped beside him and stated with a smile, "Gibby looks as he's getting quite friendly with the ladies."<p>

Freddie looked to the tall teenager dancing with several girls at once. The newlywed shook his head, "He doesn't have a date, so…"

"Why? I thought he was with that Tasha girl. The one he thought cheated on him with you."

"She dumped him after she found out that he didn't think they were 'exclusive'. He stole a date from me after the first Fredward Cullen video and Tasha found out… she wasn't happy with the news, especially after how he reacted when he thought she cheated on him with me."

Shay blinked at his son-in-law and the next moment started laughing. "I guess infidelity runs in the family… wants to have his girl, but still play the field. What a loser… and a hypocrite. Now I wish you two did fight; would have been entertaining watching you beat the shit out of him."

The old flyer shook his head and caught his breath. "Enough about that, you need to go find your bride so you can have your first dance. So give it your best, and leave it all to me."

Freddie smiled and nodded in response. "Thanks dad." He then went off to find Carly.

* * *

><p>Shay tapped his glass and announced, "I have a few words to say before the newlyweds have their first dance." The couple and gathering of teenagers turned to the General and quieted down for him to speak. The adults stood up and Ruby stood close beside Shay as he began, "There are so many ways I could approach this toast: humorous, seriously, melodramatically, but I'll stick to what I know best, the cold hard truth. You will have a long and happy life together as long as you two stick by one another and remember that you love each other and that there is no power in all of Creation that can separate that love unless you allow it." He then raised his glass, "To my second miracle and my son, be happy."<p>

Everyone else raised their red plastic cups and cheered for the couple and the pair looked thoroughly embarrassed. That didn't last long as Spencer started the next song on the dance track on the player. It was a slow dance song started and the words were instantly recognized by the newlyweds: _You Were Meant for Me_.

Freddie smiled at his bride and whispered, "Surprise."

She smiled and closed the distance to wrap her hands behind his neck as he rested his hands on the small of her back. The brunette then rested her head on his shoulder as the pair danced as they did two and a half years ago. "We really were meant for each other, weren't we?"

He chuckled softly, "Maybe or maybe we defied fate and chose ourselves. We chose to be here, not fate."

She lifted her head slightly to kiss his cheek. "Well said my husband." She then rested her head back on his shoulder as they danced.

* * *

><p>Ruby sat on the stool she had previously and took a sip of her drink as she watched the teenagers start pairing off and start dancing. Shay cleared the dance area and stood beside the slightly pale woman. She looked to Shay and commented, "She did follow in her mother's footsteps: non-traditional."<p>

"That she did," Shay agreed warmly.

"Did you expect this to happen to one of your own children?"

"No, but I'm not complaining," he whispered as he watched his daughter and son-in-law slow dance. Then a few memories surfaced to the forefront of his mind.

Early April 1981

Steven was at his locker changing out books for his next class when Ruby nearly ran to him. She took a moment to catch her breath then stated with a concern look on her face, "Steven, you have to come with me, right now."

"What's wrong?"

"Taylor's in the bathroom and I can't get her to come out. She's just sitting in a stall and I can hear her sniffling."

Steven just nodded unable to verbalize a response. She grabbed a hold of his arm and nearly dragged him down the hall until they reached the ladies' restroom. Steven slowly entered the ladies' restroom with Ruby by his side. The other girls that were in there quickly started to shout, but quieted almost as quickly when Ruby glared at them. She motioned her head for them to exit and they did so without any arguments.

Steven slowly pushed open the stall door with his fingertips. Taylor was looking down at her lap and sniffling occasionally. He knew she had felt 'off' over the last few days, but she had been even quieter than usual. The obvious conclusion he drew from the scene was that whatever was bothering her, finally broke her a little.

He knelt down in front of her and whispered, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Taylor swallowed and looked up to him with tears in her eyes. He scooted closer and gently took her in to a hug. He tenderly whispered into her ear, "Whatever it is sweetie, we're going to get through it, but you have to tell me what it is."

In a sad and fearful whisper, she replied, "I'm going to be a mommy."

Steven blinked at her. "What?"

She took his hand and placed it over her abdomen. "I'm going to be a mommy and you're going to be a daddy… I don't know how to be a mommy right now."

Steven took a breath and let it out slowly as his thoughts ran through his head a mile a minute. "I don't know how we're going to do it, but we are going to be a happy family and make it. You are going to be a fantastic mother."

Steven started laughing hysterically for joy. "We're going to be mommy and daddy."

The smile he loved of hers returned even through the drying tears. She whispered out softly, "I'm going to be a mommy."

Ruby stood outside of the restroom not allowing any girl to enter as she heard a shout from Taylor through the door: "I'm going to be a mommy!" She looked back at the door as anyone else in the hallway at the time. Ruby was in shock for a moment in wondering if she heard correctly, but grinned a moment later. She whispered, "Way to go you two."

Dorfman Residence  
>Saturday, Halloween 1981<p>

"Ruby! I need help!" Taylor shouted from the kitchen room.

The teenager looked up from her magazine and jumped off the couch in the living room. She ran to the other room terrified that the brunette girl had fallen or worst. Once she reached the threshold of the kitchen, she stopped at the site: Taylor was sitting in a chair front of a full length mirror she had apparently rolled into the kitchen without anyone noticing. She was trying to paint her pregnant belly. She had Halloween makeup on a painter's pad with orange, back and green colors.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked in complete bewilderment.

Taylor looked up with the paint brush in one hand and a smile on her face. "Spencer needs a costume, so I wanted to give him one. I'm having trouble painting the eyes to my Jack O' Lantern. I need your help."

Ruby walked over hugged Taylor tight and whispered, "Sweetie, you scared me to death. I thought something had happened to you."

Once Ruby pulled away, Taylor apologized bashfully, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Let me help you," Ruby offer before grabbing a chair to sit in front of the teenager with child. Ruby took the brush out of the brunette's hand and dipped the paint brush into the black paint. She then began filling in the triangle eyes of the Jack O' Lantern while Taylor held back her giggles of the brush tickling her abdomen.

"This is crazy you know," Ruby commented with a raised eyebrow as she finished up the first eye.

"Maybe… but I didn't want him to miss out on his first Halloween."

It was approaching ten at night when Taylor, Steven, Ruby and Barry had camped out on the living room floor in front of the TV to watch the beginning of a classic horror movie marathon of the old 1930s Universal Studios variety. They had took the pregnant teenager out trick or treating around the neighborhood and the home owners were actually quite accommodating to the excited girl, even if she was eighteen and a little old to be Trick or Treating.

Taylor popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth as she set on the floor between Steven's legs and rested his hand on her belly.

Ruby was lying on the couch and suggested with a worried tone, "You should be careful with the candy."

After swallowing the piece of chocolate and picked up another piece, she replied, "I'm eating for two. I didn't have Spencer get all dressed up and not get any candy."

Steven held back a laugh and hugged Taylor tighter towards him. She ignored all of them happily and started on her next piece of chocolate.

Wednesday, November 11, 1981

Taylor let out a shriek as she clamped her hand around Steven's hand. She was in the delivery room and it was approaching the final moments of labor.

"Okay Taylor, I need one more push," the doctor instructed as he and a nurse prepared to catch the infant.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like you right now," Taylor whimpered as she looked into Steven's eyes.

Steven grinned then kissed her forehead. "I love you too."

Taylor screamed one more time then another noise filled the room: the crying of a baby with a healthy set of lungs. The next moment part of a curtain started smoking then burst into flames. A nurse quickly pulled the curtain down and stomped out the flame. Taylor and Steven looked on with shock for a moment as the doctor cut the umbilical cord.

The baby boy was quickly wrapped up and handed to Taylor. She started crying and laughing at the same time as she rocked her first born and whispered, "My baby boy—my little Spencer."

The child only cried for a few more moments and realized that he was in safe and loving arms.

"You sure know how to make an entrance kid," Steven whispered then kissing his son's sticky forehead then Taylor's temple.

* * *

><p>Steven rocked back and forth in the rocking chair as he held his son in his arms. Taylor was peacefully asleep on the bed lying on her side facing the father and son. He just stared as he studied the brunette haired baby. He was grateful that his son had been born with a full head of hair.<p>

His son opened his eyes and looked up at the teenager. Steven took in a sharp breath at the awe the child looked up at him in wonder. Suddenly after that past two and a half years worth of struggling of pain and apathy and figuring out what it meant to be Steven Shay, everything made sense again in the world.

He couldn't imagine that picking one little fight could have started him off on a path that led to him holding a son in his arms. "My son… I don't know what life has in store for you, but I want you to know that your mother and I love you with all of our hearts. All I can promise you is that I'll try to be the father you need, not the one you want."

A few minutes later, Ruby came to the hospital room and took the infant into her arms to allow him to go to the bathroom. The idea of 'Aunty Ruby' appealed to her a great deal.

He stared into the mirror one last time before picking up the scissors. He grabbed a lock of his hair and began cutting. After only a few minutes of cutting, his locks were gone, lying on the table by the sink. He finished his hair cut by trimming the best way he could to get it back to the short, somewhat spiky way it was almost two years ago. He ran a hand through his hair and took a hard look in the mirror. It wasn't a professional haircut, but good enough for the moment.

He allowed himself a knowing smile and spoke to his reflection, "Nice to see you again Shay."

Shay Apartment  
>Friday, February 24, 2012<p>

Shay smiled as the last memory played through his head and he ran a hand through his hair. His smile grew bigger as he watched Carly and Spencer share a dance. He then looked to Ruby sipping her drink watching the celebration. "Care to dance?" he asked with a smirk.

She looked to him with a raised eyebrow and a warm smile. "I'd love to dance flyboy." She stood up and took his arm as he led them to a clear spot in the living room to dance. She placed a hand on his right shoulder and his hand on her hip and their spare hands joined together. The life long friends shared a smile as another song played in the background and they swayed to the music.

After several dances, it was decided that it was time for the bride to throw her flower bouquet. She stood at midway of the stairs and turned her back to the crowd of teenage girls. She tossed the flowers behind her shoulders and they soared through the air. One hand reached up and Wendy caught the flying flowers. She shouted for joy and the other girls started pouting with Sam just laughing at the spectacle.

Next it was time for Freddie to throw the bridal garter. He slowly pulled it down Carly's leg. The boys started cheering and started catcalling. Shay was not amused and with a sharp whistle, caught their attention. His disapproving look was enough for them to quiet down. Freddie laughed a moment before tossing it and surprisingly to the catcher, it hit him in the chest and he caught it.

Brad blinked as he realized that he had caught the garter. He turned and saw Sam's expression mirroring his own surprised expression. He softly laughed and winked at her. Her mouth narrowed into a thin line and she shook her head. Brad started laughing louder.

* * *

><p>The BensonShay-Benson also broke another tradition for the night. Instead of a large wedding cake with a wedding couple, Spencer had surprised the guests with half scale statutes of Carly and Freddie with three dozen of the famous Galini's Cocoanut Cream Pies. No one complained about having the pies instead of a cake, well Shay privately did since he still didn't understand what the big deal was about the pies. Surprisingly, his father loved them and hogged two whole ones. The General briefly thought that God must really have a sense of humor to make sure he didn't agree with his father on anything.

* * *

><p>Hours later the party finally started winding down and the guests started to leave in pairs or trios until everyone who was leaving left. Gregory Shay was the second to last to leave with well wishes to his granddaughter and grandson-in-law. He and Shay shared a nod as bidding farewells. The Dorfmans were the last to leave, but Barry left a special wedding gift for Carly and that she could wait until tomorrow to open it. It was a cardboard cylinder that paintings or other prints were shipped. It peaked Carly's curiosity, but she decided to wait and open it tomorrow. She and Freddie decided to retire for the night and headed for their room. Minutes later, Spencer, Sam and Melanie bunked in the artist's room.<p>

"Are you going to play that thing or are you going to pick at it all night?" Ruby asked as she was lying against a pillow against the couch armrest and looking to Shay sitting across from her in the black chair near the bookcase and door. She was sipping on some soda through a straw, but she didn't mind. It after all hadn't been the first wedding she went to that didn't have any alcohol.

Shay chuckled as he got comfortable in the black chair with his feet propped up on the ottoman. He had taken off his blue jacket and his tie was undone with his collar unbutton. He had taken Carly's guitar that had been left out and was just drumming on it lazily for the last twenty minutes or so. "What would you like me to play? Wait…" He set his fingers and started drumming with his finger tips then started to pick up the tempo.

Ruby just started laughing then started clapping. "I wish I had Jessie's girl…"

"I remember your crush on Springfield… I wish I had Jessie's girl," Shay started picking up trying not to laugh as he drummed on the guitar.

Shay started playing faster and getting into the song, "I want to tell her that I love, but the point is probably mute…"

"Enough with the bad karaoke!" Sam shouted from Spencer's bedroom.

Shay rolled his eyes and shouted back, "I can still ground you young lady. No meat for a week."

"Play all night long!" she shouted back a moment later.

Ruby started laughing and held a hand against her mouth.

Shay shrugged a shoulder. "Daughters, but you know how it is."

The raven haired beauty shook her head. "One is a handful enough, but volunteering to take on a second one… you're crazy Stevie."

Shay lifted a hand from the guitar and held up three fingers. "Third daughter if necessary remember and yes I'm still crazy. Why do you think my call sign was 'Loco'?"

"I haven't forgotten, but I thought you were called that because of Shay Locomotives."

Shay snorted out a laugh, "Not the only reason for the call sign."

* * *

><p>The newlyweds reached the door to the bedroom and opened it. Freddie carried his wife across the threshold of what was now their room. They shared a smile then she kissed him on the cheek. A moment or so later, he lowered his stance to allow her to stand on her feet. They looked at each other sharing smiles as Carly casually closed the door with her left hand and locked the door.<p>

They stopped and just looked at one another. He smiled tenderly at her and whispered, "My wife." She smiled back just affectionately and lifted her hand to cup his left cheek to whisper, "My husband." She realized that they were the sweetest words that she uttered in her life. A smile played on her lips as her hands went up to his chest and slowly undid one button of his dress shirt. She then kissed him before undoing another button. He stood there as she would undo a button then gave him a soft kiss on his lips. She repeated that process until she finished undoing the last button and started pulling the shirt from out of his pants. She raised her hands to his collar and pulled the white shirt off of his shoulders leaving his white undershirt.

She looked at him for a moment. She placed her hands on his shoulders as his rested on her hips. His hand slowly glided from her hip to the small of her back then up to the top of the back of her dress. His index finger gently grazed her skin above the top of the dress and over her spine. The contact sent a jolt down her spine and she took a quick breath.

"You are beautiful to me Carlotta," he whispered and she smiled back at him. He leaned forward to tenderly kiss her lips for a moment and she responded just as slowly and gently. He then slightly pulled away to start kissing along her jaw line until he reached just below her ear. He then proceeded down her neck, taking extra care at her pulse point then continued down to her collar bone. Carly closed her eyes and ran a hand through his hair at the back of his head and cradled his head as he started back up and found her lips again.

They both pulled away and looked to one another with apprehension, but absolute love for one another as well. Freddie smiled warmly and whispered, "I love you."

She smile brightly and she felt the moister in her eyes form then a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you too."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was a bright sunny Saturday morning as Carly slowly came down the steps with a small smile on her face. She was wearing her favorite pajamas of purple pajama pants and oversize T-Shirt after taking a morning shower as indicted by her still somewhat damp hair. She approached the kitchen counter then stopped on the living room side. Carly smiled at the raven haired woman on the other side getting herself a cup of coffee then took a seat by the living room computer. The brunette watched the older woman as if it was natural for her to be in the kitchen in a fitted dull yellow pajama top, stripped pajama pants and her hair bunched up and tied behind her head to keep her locks out of her face.

Ruby finally noticed the newlywed sitting on the living room side of the counter as she took a sip of her coffee. She softly laughed, "Good morning, Mrs. Shay-Benson."

"Morning," Carly replied with a smile on her lips that just grew.

The raven haired beauty approached the other side of the counter and sat her coffee down. Ruby raised an eyebrow and asked, "Interesting experience last night?"

Carly blinked at the question then looked down at the counter a little embarrassed with a slight flush to her cheeks.

Ruby looked down as well, feeling the momentary guilt of embarrassing her goddaughter. She whispered, "Carly?"

She lifted her eyes slightly to meet the crisp blue eyes. "Yes?"

Ruby let out a soft breath as she answered, "I wish that Taylor was here because it's her place, but… if you have any questions… the ones that would be uncomfortable to ask your father or brother, you can always ask me. You don't have to be embarrassed or feel ashamed about anything we talk about and I'll never repeat what we say to your father. I'm just a phone call away."

She nodded her head and bashfully smiled as she replied, "Thank you."

The older lady returned the smile. "It's never a problem, cupcake."

"Aunt Ruby… I… it was… we were both a little scared at first and it… hurt a little bit, but I felt it turned out wonderful… several times… before and during. It kind of scared me during those times, because I never felt anything like that before. I don't… I don't know how else to describe it. Is that how it's supposed to be?"

"Yes it is Carly," Ruby nodded with an understanding smile.

Carly smiled and relaxed at the raven haired woman's warm and comforting smile. "I think Freddie felt the same way… I hope he did."

"You'll just have to ask him. You two will figure out what is best for each other… practice makes perfect," she replied then softly laughed.

Carly blinked then joined in the soothing laughter. After the laughter calmed down, Carly looked around. "So, where is everyone?"

"Spencer is taking Melanie to the airport. She needed to get back to her school as I understand it. Your father is out getting us some breakfast and Samantha is still sleeping. She apparently stayed up too long watching something with Spencer. Something called 'Girly Cow'?" she asked with a questioning look.

Carly nodded her head. "Figures."

Ruby smirked as she asked, "So where's Freddie?"

Carly nodded her head up the stairs. "Oh, it's his turn with the shower. He should be out in a few minutes."

Ruby laughed and shook her head.

"What?"

Ruby leaned forwards and whispered in a conspiratorial manner, "You could have shared."

Carly pursed her lips like a fish and went paler almost in an instance.

Ruby laughed at the young woman's expression, "Just as bashful as your mother… well in the beginning."

Carly cleared her throat and replied slowly, "I'll have to suggest that next time to him. The last time I was in his shower, it wasn't good."

"What?" she blinked in surprise. "You've been in his shower before?"

"He fell in the shower after the Taco Truck accident and I had to help him out. That was scary and wet and I had to use his socks to cover my eyes."

Ruby laughed louder and covered her stomach with a hand. She shook her head then turned around and headed for the coffee maker near the sink. "Would you like some coffee?"

Carly let out a breath and replied, "Yes, please."

As she pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured the coffee, she called out, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't deal with that decaf stuff Spencer has, so this is the real stuff."

"Wait? He's been giving me decaf?"

Ruby blinked and tried to speak for a moment. "I'm not getting into that; you two deal with it later. Watched the one time your mother and uncle disagreed on something. It wasn't pretty, but that is a story for another time."

"Okay, I'll deal with Spencer later," she laughed.

The darker haired woman handed Carly the mug. Carly took a sip and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the taste. She opened her eyes to see the smiling face of the other woman. She wasn't sure why she really wanted to know, but she asked, "Did you spend the night?"

She smiled a half smile and shrugged a shoulder as she replied, "Never made it across the street back to my hotel room." She pointed past Carly and continued, "That couch is surprisingly comfortable and Steven was kind enough to walk over and get a suitcase for me." She snorted out a laugh, "He's been looking out for me since we were kids."

"Freddie's been doing that for me and it took me a long time I realize that I wouldn't want anyone else. I finally have my someone special." She saw Ruby's smile falter for a moment. "I'm sorry."

Ruby reached over and patted the teenager's hand. "It's okay Carly. Roy and I had our time and I got my daughter out of the deal. It was always his lost for walking away. I never know. Someone could walk right in to my life."

The next moment the apartment door opened and Shay shouted carrying two large plastic bags, "I have breakfast!"

About fifteen minutes later, Spencer returned and Sam had waked up enough to start eating breakfast at the kitchen counter. Ruby and Shay ate at the kitchen table sharing a laugh or two about something no one else caught. Freddie had come down a few minutes later and he and Carly were snuggled together on the couch eating their breakfast.

Freddie whispered into Carly's ear, "How's my wife doing this morning?"

She grinned and whispered back, "I'm doing great."

"I'm glad to hear… I was just afraid—"

She gave him a quick peck on the lips to silence him then tenderly looked him in the eyes to whisper, "I'm okay. I can always go back to the doctor's to make sure."

He kissed her temple and said, "I'm glad to hear." The couple then returned to eating the rest of their breakfast.

Spencer was one of the first to finish his breakfast and went to get the wedding gift left by Uncle Barry. He too was quite curious to see what it was and he immediately started pestering Carly to open it.

"Fine," she sighed as she rolled her eyes. Carly sat up straighter on the couch and opened the top of the canister and gently pulled out the rolled canvas. She unrolled it and gasped in shock at the painting: it was a portrait of her and Freddie side by side. Her husband was just in shock as he looked at the portrait of the pair. She looked down at the date and signature: _Taylor Faye Dorfman, 1980_.

"Oh my God," Spencer whispered when he saw the portrait.

Shay got up from the table with a concern look on his face. Ruby was not far behind. He asked as he approached the group, "What is it?"

Carly tried to speak for a moment or two, but Spencer finished for her, "It's a picture of Carly and Freddie. It's signed by mom."

"What?" the General whispered in disbelief.

Carly turned to the painting to show her father and looked in complete shock when he saw the signature as well.

He took a step back slowly as if he was terrified at what he saw in front of him. "That's not possible."

Freddie looked into the cylinder and spoke, "There's a letter in here." He reached in and pulled out a thick envelope out. He read the print written across the front: _To my Carlotta on her wedding day_. He handed it to Carly.

Carly flipped to the back of it. Over the sealed flap, a large cursive signature: Taylor Faye Shay. She gently opened the envelope taking her time not to tear it too much. There were several folded papers inside of it. She opened and began reading the hand written letter.

_Mrs. Taylor Faye Shay_

_Thursday, November 12, 1981_

_To my Carlotta,_

_If you are reading this, then you have gotten married, but I am not there to share that joy with you and my little brother Barry has kept this letter and your present for safe keeping. For not being with you, I am truly sorry, but please know that I love you and your brother Spencer with all my heart. He is a wonderful surprise._

_I hope you and Freddie like the painting I left you. I assumed he was the one you were going to marry. I hope my leap of faith was rewarded. Tell your daddy that this was the painting I would never show him and I hope he understands now and forgives me for keeping this secret._

_I wish I could be there for you. It breaks my heart that I may not be there for you, but know that your daddy loves you and would do anything for you. He's a very good man Carlotta; you just have to remind him of that sometimes. It's that Shay stubbornness._

_I wish I could be there to share with you all the wisdom I've gained to the moment I would be there with you, but right now I'm an eighteen year old with a day old child and I don't know how I and your daddy are going to make it, but I know somehow we're gonna get there and it will feel so wonderful. So let me share with you the wisdom I've learned from life and from what I've learned with being with your father at this moment: _

_Some of the most powerful words you can say to someone are 'I love you' and 'I forgive you'. _

_Every person is unique beyond first glance, so don't judge them so, even if they are 'odd' or not 'normal', I know that I am odd and abnormal to the rest of the world, but your daddy said I was extraordinarily unique. Remind someone of that one day when they need it. _

_Live life and breathe air, because you don't know how long you have in this world._

_There is no chance unless you take one._

_Try to see the brighter side of every situation, even in your darkest hour. _

_Some things are meant to be, but give it your best and if I was there, I'd tell you to leave the rest to me, but leave it to your father and the ones you trust the most. _

_Sometimes you have to raise a hand that draws the line, because sometimes there are mean people (I don't understand how people are mean, Steven and Ruby do and they look out for me)._

_I know that there are a thousand more things to say, but I don't know them, please forgive me. _

_The last three letters enclosed are to your brother Spencer, Steven and Ruby. Please make sure they get them._

_I will see you again one day, you promised me that and Shays keep their word. _

_With all my love little one,_

_Taylor Faye Shay_

Carly was in tears as she finished reading the letter. Freddie had wrapped his arms around her halfway through reading it. Sam had taken a seat on the other side and hugged her.

Shay took a seat in the black chair by the door. "How did she know?" Shay whispered in disbelief.

Carly had wiped a few tears away and was about to try to from words when Ruby spoke up, "She had a dream of Carly about a week after she met you."

"You knew?" he asked in a strange sense of innocence.

She shrugged her shoulder. "She begged me not to tell you after finding the painting by accident. She had only gotten Carly partially done at the time."

He looked to his daughter who had calmed down and gave him a slight smile. Carly spoke in a soft voice, "I got to speak to her in September in a dream. She was just as wonderful as I could remember."

He smiled warmly back and looked to her and Spencer. "Now I know why she wanted it to be perfect."

* * *

><p>It was Sunday afternoon as the Ruby and Shay waited for their flights back to L.A. and D.C., respectfully. They were looking out the large windows to the planes on the tarmac as Carly, Freddie, Spencer and Sam were sitting in some chairs feet away to give the two some privacy.<p>

Ruby took a deep breath and whispered, "I heard what you said to your father—"

Without batting an eye, Shay replied, "I meant it; I would have washed my hands of that man completely if he would have objected."

"I know, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about; it's the other thing."

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What other thing?"

In a solemn whisper, she replied, "I won't let you die alone."

"What?"

"You told him you were going to die alone. I'm not letting that happen even if I have to chase you in a wheel chair swinging a cane to knock sense into you when you need it while holding my fake teeth."

Shay snorted out a laugh and shook his head. "Careful what you promise me, I'll hold you to it."

She ribbed him with her elbow in a playful gesture then rested her head on his shoulder.

Epilogue

Shay/Benson/Shay-Benson Apartment

Friday, March 2, 2012

The iCarly episode for the night just finished, but they were still broadcasting for Carly to speak to the audience. "We know there have been reports of me and Freddie getting married last Friday and we want to address them," Carly began in a serious tone. She took a quick glance to Freddie behind the camera and he smiled at her. She looked back to the camera and continued, "They are true." She held up her left hand to show her gold wedding band. "I'm Mrs. Carly Shay-Benson."

Sam held up her remote with a big grin and announced, "That deserves one of these." She pressed the button to cause cheers to echo through the room.

Carly continued, "We'll be posting wedding photos during the weekend. Thank you all for your support of us. We can't tell you how much it means to us. Miss Cosgrove, I'm sorry I accidentally started that rumor you were getting married." She then gave a sad look to the camera, "I hope you can forgive me."

Then she and Sam started waving and shouting bye as Freddie turned off the camera.

End Credits

Colonel William Dorfman was sitting on the Shay couch with a tall unknown gentleman with dark hair was sitting beside him. The end credits began to roll to their left.

Special Guest Appearance by Joe Flanigan as Brigadier General Steven Shay

Dorfman grinned at you the audience.

Special Guest Star Ariana Grande as Taylor Faye Dorfman

The unknown man looked all around the strange apartment then spoke up: "Why am I here? How did I get here? I was in L.A."

Dorfman shook his head. "You're here as a preview for the next episode. You know the one where they go to L.A., meet up with some other teenagers and you surprise Freddie since he's never met you."

Guest Starring Robbie Amell as Seventeen/Eighteen year old Steven Shay

He looked back at the viewers. "If you liked what you read, there are also Snapplelinz's fine stories on . So go check them out."

Special Guest Appearance by Jennifer Connelly as Ruby Lyn West

The dark haired man rolled his eyes. "Fine, so what do I do now?"

Special Guest Star Ashley Argota as Kathy

"Sit there for a few more seconds as the credits roll by."

Special Guest Appearance by David Boreanaz as Unknown Gentleman

"Okay, fine. Are we done now?"

Special Guest Appearance by Mark Harmon as Colonel (Ret.) William "Dorf" Dorfman, USAF

Dorfman grinned and chuckled, "We are now." He then slapped the back of the guy's head.

He grabbed the back of his head then shouted, "Hey! What was that for?"

Dorfman smirked as he replied, "You'll find out in the next story."

**Author's note: Well, it's done. The long journey of Creddie is done for this trilogy, but as Colonel Dorfman said, there is another story. It's the continuing adventures of our intrepid iCarlys, but in good old Los Angeles in 'iAlready Have a Family'. Go check it out in the iCarly/Victorious section and let everyone know that enjoys both shows and don't be shy with the reviews. I enjoy hearing from you as any other author.  
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**I'd like to thank all of my readers and my reviewers for sticking with me through these three stories. I hope you have enjoyed them: billiegrace, Boris Yeltsin, BushwellFanNYC, Project NICK, DraconicWrath, DufFan and Annilein.**

**Of course, special thanks to my dear friend Snapplelinz for all of her help.**


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